Bill S-2 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 44th 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-2 modifies financial allowances for senators, appointment procedures for officials, and definitions related to salaries and disability benefits under federal laws.
Bill S-2 amends the Parliament of Canada Act and related laws to adjust financial benefits for senators, modify appointment processes, and update definitions for disability and salary calculations. It also sets the timing for when these changes will take effect.
- Adds additional annual allowances for certain senators starting July 1, 2022, unless they already receive a salary under the Salaries Act
- Requires consultation with party leaders before appointing parliamentary officers
- Allows designated leaders to adjust committee memberships during prorogation
- Defines 'annual allowance' to include payments from the Parliament of Canada Act and appropriation Acts
- Modifies disability allowance rules to provide 70% of annual salary for disabled Senators and Members of Parliament
- Updates appointment processes for officials like the Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner to include consultations with legislative leaders
- Senators (especially those in leadership roles)
- Members of Parliament
- Officials appointed by Parliament (e.g., Information Commissioner, Privacy Commissioner)
- Parliamentary committees
- Government leaders and party representatives
- The exact date when the bill comes into force is not specified beyond being set by an order from the Governor in Council
- Details about how the 5 government/OPP and 4 top party allocation works for senator allowances are not fully explained in the text
- Specific procedures for committee membership changes during prorogation are not detailed in the summary
Changes how senators are paid, how committees are structured, and who can appoint certain officials
Excludes some senators from receiving additional allowances if they already get a salary under this act
Part of the broader framework for calculating parliamentary benefits
Affects appointment procedures for officials who oversee information access
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 textThe official summary published alongside the bill, shown exactly as written.
Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
A legislative summary is currently being prepared for this bill by the Parliamentary Information and Research Service of the Library of Parliament. Meanwhile, the following executive summary is available. On 24 November 2021, Sen. Marc Gold introduced Bill S-2, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts in the Senate and it was given first reading. Bill S-2 amends the Parliament of Canada Act and makes consequential and related amendments to other Acts to, among other things, (a) change the additional annual allowances that are paid to senators who occupy certain positions so that the government’s representatives and the Opposition in the Senate are eligible for the allowances for five positions each and the three other recognized parties or parliamentary groups in the Senate with the greatest number of members are eligible for the allowances for four positions each; (b) provide that the Leader of the Government in the Senate or Government Representative in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and the Leader or Facilitator of every other recognized party or parliamentary group in the Senate are to be consulted on the appointment of certain officers and agents of Parliament; and (c) provide that the Leader of the Government in the Senate or Government Representative in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and the Leader or Facilitator of every other recognized party or parliamentary group in the Senate may change the membership of the Standing Senate Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.
This is the official summary published by the Parliament of Canada, shown verbatim. Not legal advice. PoliticalData.ca did not write or edit this text.
View on LEGISinfoParliamentary Process
Bill S-2 completed its legislative stages in the Senate and is now awaiting first reading in the House of Commons.
Bill S-2, concerning amendments to the Parliament of Canada Act and related matters, completed its first reading in the Senate on November 24, 2021. It then proceeded through second and third readings in the Senate, with the third reading occurring on December 7, 2021. The bill is now awaiting first reading in the House of Commons.
In the Senate on November 24, 2021, Bill S-2 was introduced and read for the first time, following tributes to the late Senator Judith Keating and other procedural matters.
On November 24, 2021, in the Senate, a motion was passed to extend Routine Proceedings for the day. The main procedural event related to Bill S-2 was its introduction and first reading. Senator Marc Gold introduced "An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts." Following this, the bill was placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading, scheduled for two days later. The Senate also held tributes to the late Senator Judith Keating, with multiple senators sharing memories of her career and contributions. Additionally, numerous other bills were introduced and read for the first time, and various notices of motion were given.
Bill S-2, concerning amendments to the Parliament of Canada Act, completed its second and third reading stages in the Senate and is now awaiting first reading in the House of Commons.
This record indicates that Bill S-2 completed its second reading stage in the Senate on November 30, 2021. The bill is an Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act and make related amendments to other Acts. Following this, it proceeded to third reading and was completed in the Senate on December 7, 2021. The bill is now awaiting first reading in the House of Commons. The sponsor's speech at the second reading stage was delivered by Senator Peter Harder.
On November 30, 2021, the Senate sat, hearing senators' statements on various social issues, engaging in Question Period on economic and foreign policy matters, and debating numerous bills and motions related to parliamentary procedure, social justice, arts and culture, health, public safety, Indigenous issues, and international relations, before adjourning.
This record details a Senate sitting that took place on November 30, 2021. The sitting included the usual business of the Senate, such as senators' statements, question period, and orders of the day. Several senators rose to speak on various topics including Indigenous Veterans Day, National Child Day, days of activism against gender-based violence, Indigenous Disability Awareness Month, and congratulations to a colleague and Ms. Antonine Maillet. During Question Period, senators asked questions about Canada's inflation rate, assistance for flood victims, firearms control, international aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada-China relations, Afghan refugees, Arctic sovereignty, public accounts, and the labour shortage. The Orders of the Day included debates and adjournments on several bills, including an Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Bill S-2), an Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Parliamentary Visual Artist Laureate) (Bill S-202), an Act respecting a federal framework on autism spectrum disorder (Bill S-203), an Act respecting Pandemic Observance Day (Bill S-209), an Act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material (Bill S-210), an Act to amend the Criminal Records Act (Bill S-212), an Act to amend the Department for Women and Gender Equality Act (Bill S-218), an Act respecting a National Ribbon Skirt Day (Bill S-219), an Act to amend the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act (use of wood) (Bill S-222), and an Act to establish Food Day in Canada (Bill S-227). There were also ongoing debates on motions concerning the residential school system, adopting anti-racism as a pillar of the Canada Health Act, studying the impacts of resource extraction, and urging the government to reconvene the International Conference on Viet-Nam. The sitting concluded with the adjournment of several debates.
On November 30, 2021, the Senate debated various bills and motions, including amendments to the Parliament of Canada Act, and addressed issues ranging from inflation and international aid to Indigenous reconciliation and environmental concerns.
This record details a Senate sitting on November 30, 2021. The sitting included proceedings such as "Business of the Senate," "Senators' Statements" where various topics like Indigenous Veterans Day, National Child Day, and congratulations to Senator Rob Black were discussed. "Question Period" addressed issues like Canada's inflation rate, flooding in British Columbia, firearms control, international aid, Canada-China relations, Afghan refugees, Arctic sovereignty, public accounts, and labour shortages. The bulk of the record details the "Orders of the Day," which involved debates and adjournments on numerous bills. Notably, Bill S-2, concerning amendments to the Parliament of Canada Act, had its second reading debate adjourned. Other bills discussed or debated included those related to autism spectrum disorder, pandemic observance day, young persons' online access to pornography, criminal records, women and gender equality, ribbon skirts, public works and government services, food day in Canada, and the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act. Several motions were also debated, including one on the residential school system, adopting anti-racism as a pillar of the Canada Health Act, studying the impacts of resource extraction, and urging the government to reconvene the International Conference on Viet-Nam. The sitting concluded with the adjournment of the debate on Senator Ngo's motion.
On December 7, 2021, the Senate of Canada debated and advanced several bills, including those concerning the Parliament of Canada Act, Judges Act, conversion therapy, autism, online content for youth, and judicial independence, alongside motions on climate change and committee procedures.
On December 7, 2021, the Senate of Canada convened for a sitting that included debates on several bills and other matters. The sitting featured discussions on Bill S-2, concerning amendments to the Parliament of Canada Act, which was advanced through second and third reading. Additionally, the Senate debated Bill S-3, related to the Judges Act, and Bill C-4, concerning conversion therapy. Other legislative matters discussed included bills on autism spectrum disorder (Bill S-203), restricting online access to explicit material for young persons (Bill S-210), and judicial independence (Bill S-213). The Senate also considered motions on climate change, the participation of ministers in Question Period, and committee selection. Several reports from committees were tabled and debated. The sitting concluded with various debates adjourned.
Bill S-2, concerning amendments to the Parliament of Canada Act, has completed its third reading in the Senate and is now ready for introduction in the House of Commons.
The Senate has completed the third reading of Bill S-2. This bill proposes to amend the Parliament of Canada Act and make related changes to other acts. The bill is now awaiting its first reading in the House of Commons.
During the third reading of Bill S-2, senators agreed by consent to deem the bill read a third time and passed.
On December 7, 2021, the Senate of Canada held its third reading debate for Bill S-2, an act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act. During this stage, the Senate engaged in a debate where a senator asked for leave to have the bill deemed read a third time and passed. This request was agreed to by the senators. Therefore, the bill was deemed read a third time and passed by the Senate.
Bill S-2 has completed its Senate process and is awaiting its first reading in the House of Commons.
This record indicates that Bill S-2, an Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act, has reached the House of Commons but has not yet undergone its first reading. The bill has completed all stages in the Senate, including third reading on December 7, 2021. Its first reading in the House of Commons is still pending.
Bill S-2, an Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act and make consequential amendments, is a Senate bill awaiting its first reading in the House of Commons and has not yet reached the second reading stage.
This artifact describes the status of Bill S-2 in the House of Commons. The bill is a Senate bill that has not yet reached its second reading stage in the House of Commons. The last major action on this bill was its third reading in the Senate on December 7, 2021.
Bill S-2, a Senate bill, is currently awaiting its first reading in the House of Commons and has not yet reached the committee consideration stage.
This artifact describes the status of Bill S-2 in the House of Commons. It indicates that the bill has not yet reached the 'Consideration in committee' stage. The bill is a Senate bill and is awaiting its first reading in the House of Commons. The last major action on this bill was its third reading in the Senate on December 7, 2021.
Bill S-2, an Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act, has completed its stages in the Senate and is awaiting first reading in the House of Commons, having not yet reached the Report stage in that chamber.
This artifact describes the legislative process for Bill S-2 in the House of Commons. The bill has not yet reached the Report stage in the House of Commons. The latest activity shown is the Third reading in the Senate on December 7, 2021. The bill was first read in the Senate on November 24, 2021, and had its Second reading on November 30, 2021. A major speech was given at the Second reading by Senator Peter Harder. The bill is currently awaiting its first reading in the House of Commons.
Bill S-2, an Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act, has completed its third reading in the Senate and is awaiting its first reading in the House of Commons, with the third reading stage in the House of Commons not yet reached.
This record indicates that Bill S-2 has reached the 'House of Commons Third reading' stage, but this stage has not yet occurred ('Not reached'). The bill is a Senate bill that is awaiting its first reading in the House of Commons. The last significant action on this bill was its third reading in the Senate on December 7, 2021. It had its first reading on November 24, 2021, and its second reading on November 30, 2021, in the Senate.
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