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OntarioDid not become law (session ended)42nd Parliament, 1st Session

Bill 1 explained in plain English

An Act to perpetuate an ancient parliamentary right

Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Ontario Legislature
Legislature / Parliament
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Session
42nd Parliament, 1st Session
Bill number
Bill 1
Full title
An Act to perpetuate an ancient parliamentary right
Current status
Did not become law (session ended)
Latest event
Carried
Last updated
Jul 12, 2018
Sponsor

Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.

Chamber
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Current Stage
Carried
Latest Activity
Jul 12, 2018
Sponsor
Plain-language explanation
In plain English (our explanation)

Our plain-language take, written for civic education.

Source: By PoliticalData.ca

AI-assisted, reviewed before publishing
Short Version

Bill 1 asserts the Legislative Assembly's right to govern independently of the Crown.

What It Means

This bill asserts the long-standing right of the Ontario Legislative Assembly to conduct its business and make decisions independently of the Crown. It formally states that elected representatives have the authority to prioritize matters they deem important, a practice that has historical roots dating back to 1558.

What This Bill Does
  • Asserts the right of the Legislative Assembly to give precedence to matters it chooses, rather than only those directed by the Sovereign.
  • States that the Legislative Assembly has the right to sit and act without needing permission from the Crown.
  • Adopts the practice of introducing a "pro forma" Bill to explain and record the constitutional importance of the first Bill of a new parliamentary session.
Who Is Affected
  • The Legislative Assembly of Ontario
  • Elected representatives
  • The Crown
Rights, Duties, Or Obligations
  • The established right of Parliament, through elected representatives, to sit and act without leave from the Crown.
  • The right of the Legislative Assembly to give precedence to matters other than those expressed by the Sovereign.
Important Dates
  • The practice dates to at least 1558.
  • The practice was codified by resolution of the House of Commons in 1604.
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • The bill is a 'pro forma' Bill, adopted from practices in other parliamentary jurisdictions, but its specific application and implications within Ontario's legislative framework are not detailed beyond asserting this right.
  • The bill does not specify how this right is exercised in practice beyond stating its existence.

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 text

Process Snapshot

Step 1
First reading
Jul 12, 2018
Step 2
Second reading
Not reached yet
Step 3
Committee review
Not reached yet
Step 4
Third reading
Not reached yet
Step 5
Royal assent
Not reached yet

Vote Summary

No published recorded division

This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.

Sponsor
Doug Ford
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Etobicoke North
Jurisdiction
Ontario Legislature

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