Bill C-207 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the National Capital Act (appointments and meetings)
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 40th Parliament, 1st Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill C-207 proposes to amend the National Capital Act to reduce the size of the National Capital Commission, change appointment terms, require city councillor representation, and make meetings public.
Bill C-207, titled 'An Act to amend the National Capital Act (appointments and meetings)', proposes changes to the National Capital Act. It aims to reduce the number of members on the National Capital Commission from fifteen to seven. It also proposes changes to how members are appointed, including that the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and other members will hold office during good behaviour. The term for other members will increase from three to four years. Additionally, the bill requires that two of the members must also be city councillors, one from Ottawa and one from Gatineau. Finally, the bill aims to make the Commission's meetings open to the public, with exceptions for contracts or personnel matters.
- Reduces the number of members of the National Capital Commission from fifteen to seven.
- Changes the appointment terms for the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and other members to hold office during good behaviour.
- Increases the term for other members from three to four years.
- Requires two of the members to also be city councillors, one for the city of Ottawa and one for the city of Gatineau.
- Makes the National Capital Commission's meetings open to the public, with exceptions for contract or personnel matters.
- Members of the National Capital Commission
- The public attending National Capital Commission meetings
- The Minister responsible for the National Capital Commission
- The Governor in Council
- City councillors of Ottawa and Gatineau who may be appointed to the Commission
- The obligation for the National Capital Commission to hold public meetings, with exceptions for contracts or personnel matters.
- The right for the public to attend National Capital Commission meetings, except when dealing with contracts or personnel matters.
- The bill does not specify the exact criteria or process for appointing the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, beyond stating it will be for a term the Governor in Council considers appropriate and that they will hold office during good behaviour. (Section 1(1))
- The bill does not specify what constitutes 'good behaviour' for members holding office.
- The bill does not specify the exact timing for the commencement of these amendments, as it is outside the Order of Precedence.
This bill proposes amendments to the National Capital Act concerning the composition, appointments, and meeting procedures of the National Capital Commission.
Source: Summary
This section will be amended to state that the National Capital Commission will consist of seven members, including a Chairperson and a Chief Executive Officer. It also clarifies that members, other than the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, will be appointed by the Minister with approval of the Governor in Council for a term not exceeding four years, to hold office during good behaviour. The Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer will be appointed by the Governor in Council to hold office during good behaviour for a term the Governor in Council considers appropriate. Additionally, it specifies that two of the members must be city councillors, one from Ottawa and one from Gatineau, and three members from any other place in Canada.
Source: Section 1(1) and 1(2)
A new subsection (5.1) will be added, stating that if a member's term as a city councillor expires during their term on the Commission, a replacement will be appointed under subsection (2).
Source: Section 1(3)
This section will be replaced to require the Commission to meet at least three times a year in the National Capital Region, and all meetings will be open to the public, unless the meeting or part of it deals with contracts or personnel matters, in which case it may be held in private.
Source: Section 2
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textParliamentary Process
We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
Bill C-207, concerning amendments to the National Capital Act regarding appointments and meetings, completed its first reading in the House of Commons on November 21, 2008.
This artifact details the first reading of Bill C-207, An Act to amend the National Capital Act (appointments and meetings), in the House of Commons on November 21, 2008. The bill's first reading stage was completed, and it was noted as being 'Outside the Order of Precedence'. The artifact also references a similar bill, C-381, which was introduced in a previous Parliament.
Bill C-207 was introduced and received first reading in the House of Commons on November 21, 2008.
On November 21, 2008, the House of Commons commenced the process for Bill C-207, An Act to amend the National Capital Act (appointments and meetings). The bill was introduced and read for the first time. Following this procedural step, the House proceeded to other business, including debate on the Speech from the Throne and various other items.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced