Ceremonial mace of Canada

This has been a very exciting week in Canadian politics. A new session of parliament has begun, under a newly elected government and a new prime minister.

The popular view is that parliament sessions with their long debates and nit-picking speeches is pretty dull, and far removed from our day-to-day lives. But watching history in action these past few days has been fascinating — especially to a history buff. 

The first order of a new parliament is to choose a Speaker. That’s the member who acts as a referee in the House of Commons. Among other duties, it is his, or her, job to keep debate from dissolving into shouting matches, to ensure that members maintain parliamentary language and demeanour and to cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie.

 

 

The speaker wears a black robe with an ornately tied ribbon at the back, and a tricorn hat. This medieval dress roots our modern parliament in the long history of parliamentary government from Athens to London to Ottawa.  In Britain, the Speaker’s role was first to communicate from the monarch to the Commons. Over the centuries the emphasis changed and the Speaker now communicates to the crown on behalf of the Commons. Over the centuries many speakers were executed by the monarch when he/she didn’t like the message being conveyed. No doubt that is why the newly elected Speaker of the House of Commons has to be “dragged” to his chair by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.  It makes good theatre in our modern context, but reminds us of the heavy responsibility invested in the role.

The Sergeant-at-Arms of the Commons then places the ceremonial mace — pictured at the top of this post– on a long table in front of the speaker, indicating the authority of the Speaker.

There was great excitement in Ottawa his week, as King Charles III arrived in Canada to open our 45th parliament by reading the speech from the throne. This  is only the third time in Canadian history that the reigning monarch has performed the function. Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles’ mother, opened our parliament in 1957 and 1977.

Queen Elizabeth II, 1957 and 1977

The speech from the throne, which lays out the government’s priorities for the upcoming session of parliament, is delivered in the Senate chamber.  Again, this dates back to the time when parliament and monarchy struggled for power. In order to protect the members of parliament, the sovereign was not allowed inside the House of Commons. In fact, the doors to that chamber were locked against him. Therefore, when parliament opened, the King sent a message to the House of Commons, desiring the members to immediately attend him in the Senate chamber. The room was packed with dignitaries, the Supreme Court judges, senators, MPs, and parliamentary staff and security.

It made for an impressive display of ceremony, enthusiasm, and purpose. Canada is a young country, created by the the British North America Act on July 1, 1867, but as we evolved from colony to sovereign nation, we carried with us centuries of tradition and law. While some of those parliamentary rituals may seem quaint and out of place in a world were MPs can vote electronically from their far-flung constituencies, they serve to remind Canadians and parliamentarians of the weight of their office and the price paid in blood and sacrifice to secure and guarantee the freedoms we have today. 

Parliament governs at the will of the people, not by the fiat of the monarch. Much as I enjoy all the pageantry surrounding a royal visit, I am forever grateful that my country is administered by elected representatives who answer to their constituents. God Save the King! and long live Parliament.