Category Archives: Parliament

The Disgrace of Boris Johnson

Posted on 2022/02/03 by J.W.J. Bowden

  The British press first reported on allegations on 30 November 2021 that Number 10 Downing Street had held numerous parties and social gatherings in contravention of the lockdowns and restrictions throughout 2020 and 2021. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson … Continue reading →

Posted in Parliament | 1 Comment

Orrrrrrrddaaaaa! Speaking in the Second Person

Posted on 2022/01/18 by J.W.J. Bowden

Rhoticity Makes Melody Speakers of the House of Commons of Canada sound so flat when they say, “Order” in our rhotic (pronouncing the ‘r’) North American accents. Australian and British Speakers of the House sound far more comical and entertaining … Continue reading →

Posted in Decorum, Parliament | Leave a comment

A Day in the Life of the 32nd Parliament, Part II

Posted on 2021/09/18 by J.W.J. Bowden

Brian Mulroney responded to Pierre Trudeau with convivial good humour, and his half of the exchange provides an example of my observation yesterday that MPs in the 1980s often spoke to their counterparts directly in the second person. Mulroney’s jovial … Continue reading →

Posted in Decorum, Parliament, Traditions and History | Leave a comment

A Day in the Life of the 32nd Parliament

Posted on 2021/09/17 by J.W.J. Bowden

The first televised proceedings of the House of Commons of Canada began in 1977, fully two years before C-SPAN began televising the United States House of Representatives. Our equivalent of C-SPAN, CPAC, has now uploaded online all the video footage … Continue reading →

Posted in Decorum, Parliament, Traditions and History | 2 Comments

Suspending The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick

Posted on 2018/04/05 by J.W.J. Bowden

New Brunswick provides an interesting case study in novel interpretations of how parliamentary government works and now in matters of the separation of powers between the executive and legislature. Liberal Premier Brian Gallant recently announced that he, as Liberal leader, … Continue reading →

Posted in Parliament, Parliamentary Privilege | 2 Comments