Bill S-205 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act (Speaker of the Senate)
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 43rd 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 S-205 proposes to change the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act to have the Senate elect its own Speaker and Deputy Speaker, allow them to vote, and update related provisions.
This bill proposes changes to how the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Senate are chosen and how they vote. Currently, the Governor General appoints the Speaker. This bill would have the Senate elect its own Speaker and Deputy Speaker by secret ballot after each general election. It also clarifies the voting rights of the Speaker in the Senate and makes related changes to the Parliament of Canada Act concerning the roles and duties of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, including their salaries. The bill would come into effect when the current Parliament is dissolved.
- It would change the Constitution Act, 1867 to require the Senate to elect its Speaker and Deputy Speaker by secret ballot after a general election.
- It would amend the Constitution Act, 1867 to change the voting rules in the Senate, allowing the Speaker to vote in case of a tie.
- It would amend the Parliament of Canada Act to define the roles and responsibilities when the Speaker or Deputy Speaker is absent or leaves the chair.
- It would update the salary amount for the Deputy Speaker of the Senate.
- It would specify that the Act comes into force upon the dissolution of the 43rd Parliament.
- Senators
- The Speaker of the Senate
- The Deputy Speaker of the Senate
- The Governor General of Canada
- The Senate will have the right to elect its Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
- The Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be able to vote in Senate proceedings.
- The Speaker and Deputy Speaker will have defined duties when presiding over Senate sittings.
- The Act comes into force on the dissolution of the 43rd Parliament.
- The bill amends the Parliament of Canada Act to specify the salary for the Deputy Speaker of the Senate as $20,600.
- The bill does not specify the exact process or timeline for the 'secret ballot' election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker beyond requiring it to happen with 'all practicable speed'.
- The bill does not detail what constitutes 'otherwise' in the context of a vacancy in the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker.
- The specific amount of the Speaker's salary is not mentioned, only that of the Deputy Speaker.
Changes Section 34 to have the Senate elect its Speaker and Deputy Speaker, and replaces Section 36 to alter how questions are decided in the Senate, specifically regarding the Speaker's vote.
Source: Section 1 and Section 2 of the Bill
Replaces the heading before Section 17 and Sections 17 to 19 to outline procedures for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker when leaving the chair and during unavoidable absence, and amends Section 62.1 to update the Deputy Speaker's salary.
Source: Section 3 and Section 4 of the Bill
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
Bill S-205 was introduced and received its first reading in the Senate on December 11, 2019.
This record outlines the procedural step of "Senate First reading" for Bill S-205 on December 11, 2019. This marks the initial formal introduction of the bill in the Senate. The provided text also lists similar bills that have been introduced in previous Parliaments, all related to amending the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act concerning the Speakership of the Senate.
The Senate introduced Bill S-205, dedicated most of the sitting to tributes for Senator Serge Joyal, and passed Bill C-2.
On December 11, 2019, in the Senate, Bill S-205, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act (Speaker of the Senate), was introduced and received first reading. The majority of the sitting was dedicated to tributes for Senator Serge Joyal, who was retiring. Various other procedural matters were addressed, including the tabling of committee reports and notices of motions. The Senate also considered and passed Bill C-2, Appropriation Bill No. 3, 2019-20, and debated other motions.
Bill S-205, concerning the Speaker of the Senate, is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate, with no activity recorded at this specific stage.
Bill S-205, concerning the Speaker of the Senate, was introduced and received first reading in the Senate on December 11, 2019. The bill is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate. The artifact provided does not contain details of any activity or debate at this stage.
Bill S-205, concerning the Speaker of the Senate, has reached the 'Senate Third reading' stage but has not yet proceeded past 'Second reading in the Senate'.
This artifact describes the legislative process for Bill S-205 in the Senate. The bill has reached the 'Senate Third reading' stage, but this specific stage has not yet occurred. The current status of the bill is 'At second reading in the Senate'. The latest activity recorded was its introduction and first reading on December 11, 2019. The artifact also lists several similar bills that were introduced in previous Parliaments.
Bill S-205, related to the Speaker of the Senate, has not yet undergone first reading in the House of Commons and is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate.
This record indicates that Bill S-205, concerning the Speaker of the Senate, has not yet reached the first reading stage in the House of Commons. The bill was first introduced and read in the Senate on December 11, 2019, and is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate. The artifact also lists several similar bills that were introduced in previous Parliaments.
Bill S-205, concerning the Speaker of the Senate and amendments to the Constitution Act, 1867, has completed its first reading and introduction in the Senate, and is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate, with the House of Commons second reading stage not yet reached.
This artifact describes the legislative process for Bill S-205, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act (Speaker of the Senate). The bill has reached the second reading stage in the Senate. The provided text indicates that the House of Commons second reading stage has not yet been reached. It also lists similar bills that have been introduced in previous Parliaments. The latest activity for Bill S-205 was its introduction and first reading in the Senate on December 11, 2019.
Bill S-205 has reached the 'Consideration in committee' stage in the House of Commons, which has not yet occurred, while its current overall status is 'At second reading in the Senate'.
This artifact describes the procedural stage of Bill S-205 within the House of Commons. It indicates that the bill has reached the stage of 'Consideration in committee' in the House of Commons but that this stage has not yet been reached. The artifact also notes that the bill's current status is 'At second reading in the Senate' and provides historical information about similar bills that have been introduced in previous Parliaments.
Bill S-205 is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate, and the report stage in the House of Commons has not yet been reached.
This record indicates that Bill S-205 has reached the 'House of Commons Report stage' but has not yet proceeded to that stage. The bill's current status, as of the latest update, is 'At second reading in the Senate'. The record also lists similar bills that have been introduced in previous Parliaments.
Bill S-205 has not yet reached the House of Commons Third reading stage, as it is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate.
This artifact indicates that Bill S-205 has not yet reached the 'House of Commons Third reading' stage. The bill's current status is 'At second reading in the Senate'. The 'Latest activity' recorded for this bill was its introduction and first reading in the Senate on December 11, 2019. The artifact also lists several similar bills that were introduced in previous Parliaments and their stages.
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