Bill 18 explained in plain English
Respect for Voters Act, 2011
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 40th Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill 18 amends the Legislative Assembly Act to automatically vacate the seat of an MPP who leaves the political party under which they were elected.
This bill, known as the Respect for Voters Act, 2011, makes changes to the Legislative Assembly Act. It states that if a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) is elected as part of a political party and then leaves that party or a successor party, they will no longer be legally allowed to sit or vote in the Legislative Assembly. Their seat will be considered vacant, and a new election will be held to fill that vacancy. The bill also outlines a process for proving a member has left their party, involving a signed statement from the party leader to the Speaker. An MPP whose seat is vacated under these rules can be re-elected if they are otherwise eligible. The Act comes into effect on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Amends the Legislative Assembly Act to disqualify a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) from continuing to sit or vote in the Assembly if they leave the political party through which they were elected.
- Requires that an MPP's seat be vacated and a new election be called if they are disqualified due to leaving their party.
- Establishes that a signed statement from the political party leader to the Speaker serves as proof that an MPP has left their party.
- Allows an MPP whose seat has been vacated under these provisions to be re-elected if they are not otherwise ineligible.
- Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) in Ontario.
- Political parties registered under the Election Finances Act.
- Voters in Ontario, as by-elections may be triggered.
- MPPs elected under a political party are obligated to remain with that party or a successor to continue sitting and voting in the Assembly.
- An MPP whose seat is vacated under this Act has the right to be re-elected if not otherwise ineligible.
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Disqualification from sitting or voting in the Legislative Assembly.
- Vacating of the MPP's seat.
- Issuance of a writ for a new election to fill the vacancy.
- The definition of a 'successor' to a political party is not explicitly detailed within the provided text.
- The bill does not specify the exact process or timeline for issuing the writ for a new election, beyond stating it should be done 'forthwith'.
Adds a new section that disqualifies a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) from continuing to sit or vote in the Legislative Assembly if they leave the political party through which they were elected. It also states their seat becomes vacant, requiring a new election, and outlines how to prove a member has left their party.
Source: Section 1
Is referenced as the Act under which political parties are registered, as it pertains to the party affiliation of Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs).
Source: Section 15.1 (1)
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 textProcess Snapshot
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