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OntarioDid not become law (session ended)40th Parliament, 2nd 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
40th Parliament, 2nd 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
Feb 19, 2013

Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 40th Parliament, 2nd 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
Feb 19, 2013
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

This bill is a symbolic 'pro forma' piece of legislation intended to reaffirm the Legislative Assembly's historical right to operate independently of the Crown.

What It Means

This bill, titled 'An Act to perpetuate an ancient parliamentary right,' is a symbolic piece of legislation. It is introduced before the Throne Speech and aims to reaffirm the historical right of the Legislative Assembly to meet and act independently of the Crown's permission. The bill states that this right dates back to at least 1558 and was formally recognized by the House of Commons in 1604. It uses the practice of introducing a 'pro forma' bill, common in other parliamentary systems, to highlight and document the constitutional significance of this fundamental parliamentary right.

What This Bill Does
  • It states the purpose of the bill is to perpetuate the established right of Parliament to sit and act without the Crown's leave.
  • It asserts the Legislative Assembly's right to prioritize matters other than those mentioned by the Sovereign.
  • It notes that this practice dates back to at least 1558 and was codified in 1604.
  • It explains that the bill is a 'pro forma' bill, adopted from practices in other parliamentary jurisdictions, to explain and record the constitutional importance of this right.
Who Is Affected
  • The Legislative Assembly of Ontario
  • Members of the Legislative Assembly
  • 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.
  • The bill was introduced for first reading on February 19, 2013.
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • The bill does not specify any new powers or create any new legal obligations.
  • The bill's impact appears to be symbolic and constitutional in nature.
  • The bill does not detail specific procedures or penalties.

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
Feb 19, 2013
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
Kathleen O. Wynne
Sponsor party or district not listed
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