Bill S-226 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 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-226 proposed to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act to allow the Senate to elect its Speaker and Deputy Speaker, grant them voting rights, and make related administrative and salary adjustments.
Bill S-226, if it had been passed, would have changed how the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Senate are chosen and how they vote. It proposed that the Senate elect its own Speaker and Deputy Speaker by secret ballot. It would also have allowed the Speaker and Deputy Speaker to vote in the Senate. The bill also made related changes to the Parliament of Canada Act concerning the roles and salaries of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. The bill was set to come into effect upon the dissolution of the 44th Parliament.
- It proposed to replace section 34 of the Constitution Act, 1867, to require the Senate to elect its Speaker and Deputy Speaker by secret ballot after a general election or if a vacancy occurs.
- It proposed to replace section 36 of the Constitution Act, 1867, to allow the senator presiding to vote when the voices are equal, rather than the decision being deemed negative.
- It proposed to replace sections 17 to 19 of the Parliament of Canada Act to outline procedures for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker leaving the chair and for a senator to preside in their absence, and to confirm the validity of acts done by them.
- It proposed to amend section 62.1 of the Parliament of Canada Act to change the title of the recognized position of Speaker pro tempore to Deputy Speaker and specify their annual salary.
- It proposed that the Act would come into force on the dissolution of the 44th Parliament.
- Senators
- The Senate of Canada
- The Speaker of the Senate
- The Deputy Speaker of the Senate
- The Senate would be obligated to elect a Speaker and Deputy Speaker by secret ballot.
- The Speaker and Deputy Speaker would have the right to vote in the Senate.
- The presiding senator would have a vote when the voices are equal.
- The Speaker and Deputy Speaker would have specific powers and duties when presiding.
- A senator chosen to preside in the absence of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker would have the powers, privileges, and duties of the Speaker.
- The bill was set to come into force on the dissolution of the 44th Parliament.
- The bill would set the annual salary for the member of the Senate occupying the position of Deputy Speaker at $20,600.
- The bill text does not specify how often the Senate would need to hold elections for Speaker and Deputy Speaker if vacancies occur frequently.
- The bill was not proceeded with, so its effects are hypothetical.
Would change how the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Senate are selected and their voting rights.
Source: Section 1 of the Bill
Would change the voting rule for the presiding senator when votes are equal.
Source: Section 2 of the Bill
Would update provisions related to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Senate, including when they leave the chair and who presides in their absence.
Source: Section 3 of the Bill
Would change the name of a Senate position to 'Deputy Speaker' and confirm their salary.
Source: 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-226 completed first reading in the Senate on November 24, 2021, but was later dropped from the Order Paper on May 30, 2024, with no further action taken.
This record indicates that Bill S-226, concerning amendments to the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act related to the Speaker of the Senate, reached its first reading in the Senate on November 24, 2021. The bill was later dropped from the Senate Order Paper on May 30, 2024, meaning it was not further proceeded with. The record also lists several similar bills that were introduced in previous Parliaments with the same or a similar purpose.
During a Senate sitting on November 24, 2021, tributes were paid to the late Senator Judith Keating, several other bills received first reading, and a motion to resume hybrid sittings was debated, while Bill S-226 was formally introduced.
On November 24, 2021, the Senate held its first reading for Bill S-226. This artifact, however, is a record of the Senate sitting, which primarily focused on tributes to the late Senator Judith Keating and a discussion on resuming hybrid sittings. Several other bills were also introduced and received first reading. The bill itself, "An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act (Speaker of the Senate)", was introduced but no debate or procedural steps related to its content are present in this record.
Bill S-226, concerning amendments to the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act regarding the Speaker of the Senate, was removed from the Senate's agenda on May 30, 2024, and was not proceeded with.
This artifact describes Bill S-226 at the Senate Second Reading stage. The bill was removed from the Senate's agenda (dropped from the Order Paper) on May 30, 2024, meaning no further procedural activity occurred at this stage. Information about similar bills from previous Parliaments is also provided. The official source text indicates that the bill was not proceeded with.
Bill S-226, aiming to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act concerning the Speaker of the Senate, was not proceeded with and was removed from the Senate's Order Paper on May 30, 2024, before reaching its third reading stage.
Bill S-226, concerning amendments to the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act related to the Speaker of the Senate, was not proceeded with. It was removed from the Senate's Order Paper on May 30, 2024. The bill had reached the 'Senate: Third reading' stage, but this stage was not reached before it was dropped.
Bill S-226, related to the Speaker of the Senate, did not reach First Reading in the House of Commons and was dropped from the Senate Order Paper.
This record indicates that Bill S-226, concerning amendments to the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act related to the Speaker of the Senate, did not proceed to First Reading in the House of Commons. The bill was dropped from the Senate Order Paper on May 30, 2024. The artifact also notes that this bill had a First Reading in the Senate on November 24, 2021, and lists similar bills that were introduced in previous Parliaments.
Bill S-226, concerning amendments to the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act regarding the Speaker of the Senate, has not proceeded to second reading in the House of Commons and was previously dropped from the Senate Order Paper.
This artifact describes the status of Bill S-226 in the House of Commons. It indicates that the bill has not proceeded to the second reading stage in the House of Commons. The bill was previously in the Senate and was dropped from the Senate Order Paper on May 30, 2024. The artifact also lists similar bills related to amending the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act concerning the Speaker of the Senate that were introduced in previous parliamentary sessions.
Bill S-226, aiming to amend acts related to the Speaker of the Senate, was ultimately not proceeded with and was dropped from the Senate Order Paper.
Bill S-226, concerning amendments to the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act related to the Speaker of the Senate, was not proceeded with in the House of Commons. It was removed from the Senate's order of business on May 30, 2024. The provided text details the bill's status and a history of similar bills. It does not contain information about the stage 'House of Commons Consideration in committee' being reached.
Bill S-226, intended to change laws related to the Speaker of the Senate, was dropped from the Senate Order Paper and did not reach the report stage in the House of Commons.
Bill S-226, which aimed to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act concerning the Speaker of the Senate, was not proceeded with. The report stage for this bill in the House of Commons was not reached. The bill was dropped from the Senate Order Paper on May 30, 2024. The provided text also lists several similar bills introduced in previous Parliaments with similar titles and objectives.
Bill S-226, an Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act (Speaker of the Senate), was not proceeded with in the House of Commons and was dropped from the Senate Order Paper on May 30, 2024.
Bill S-226, concerning the Speaker of the Senate, was not moved forward in the House of Commons. It reached the stage of Third Reading but was not proceeded with and was ultimately dropped from the Senate Order Paper on May 30, 2024. The provided text also lists similar bills from previous Parliaments that dealt with amending the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act regarding the Speaker of 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