MEET YOUR MP

Members of Parliament

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN MP AND AN MPP?

– MP stands for Member of Parliament, referring to a federal elected representative who sits in the House of Commons in Ottawa. MPs are responsible for making decisions on federal matters such as national defense, foreign policy, and federal laws. In summary, MPs focus on federal issues, while MPPs focus on provincial or territorial issues.

– MPP stands for Member of Provincial Parliament, referring to a provincial or territorial elected representative who sits in their respective provincial or territorial legislature. MPPs are responsible for making decisions on provincial or territorial matters such as healthcare, education, and provincial laws. In summary, MPs focus on federal issues, while MPPs focus on provincial or territorial issues.

HOW ARE MP'S SELECTED?

MPs are elected in Canada through the following steps:

– Dissolution of Parliament: The Prime Minister asks the Governor General to dissolve Parliament, which leads to the issuance of writs of election.
– Nomination of Candidates: Political parties and independent candidates submit their nominations to Elections Canada.
– Campaigning: Candidates and parties promote their platforms and engage with voters.
– Voting: Eligible voters cast their ballots on election day or in advance.
– Counting and Results: Ballots are counted, and the candidate with the most votes is declared the winner.
– Parliament Resumes: The elected MPs take their seats in the House of Commons, and the political party with the most MPs usually forms the government.

In Canada’s first-past-the-post system, the candidate with the most votes in each electoral district wins a seat in the House of Commons. The political party with the most seats usually forms the government, and its leader becomes the Prime Minister.

Liberal

Conservative

Green Party

Bloc Québécois

Independent

New Democratic Party

MEET YOUR MP

There are 338 members of Parliament in Canada. The number of members of Parliament is based on the number of constituencies, which is determined by population. Each MP represents approximately 110,000 Canadians.

Alberta: 34

British Columbia: 42

Manitoba: 14

New Brunswick: 10

Newfoundland and Labrador: 7

Nova Scotia: 11

Nunavut: 1

Ontario: 121

Quebec: 78

Prince Edward Island: 4

Saskatchewan: 14

Yukon: 1