The legislative agenda

This scheduling grid shows compares the schedules of the House of Commons, Senate, and the provincial and territorial legislatures so far this fall (click to enlarge).


The background grey and white zones distinguish the business days of the four months, September through October, left to right. Weekends and holidays are in green. Sitting days are in dark blue, while projected sitting days (where the legislature has provided a calendar of future business) are in light blue.

The British Columbia legislature actually reconvened in August, while those of Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories have already adjourned.

The Bow-Wow Parliament, shown here as the bottom row, in the absence of hard information, has "projected" sitting days are based on the planned November 30th opening of the House of Assembly — and on the fact that it has not, in recent years, sat more than three weeks, or any later than the third week of December.

It often rises for Christmas even earlier than that.

In announcing that the House would finally open on November 30th, Government House Leader Joan Burke said that "Government is eager to resume its legislative agenda".

Whatever that agenda is.

Perhaps the brilliant legislative drafters in Confederation Building have finally tackled the long-promised, yet still undelivered Whistleblower protection bill — the one which Our Dear Premier wanted to take the time "to do right".

Or, perhaps, the eager legislative beavers will finally start gnawing out the Act Respecting Sir Wilfred Grenfell University. That's a piece of legislation — a legislative "piece", if you will — that Joan Burke, wearing her Ministur of Edjukayshn hat, said that she had not had time to finish.

Or, perhaps, they will be handed a new set of marching orders: don't just stand there, expropriate something! And quick!

Who knows?