39th Parliament of Canada | |||
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minority parliament | |||
April 3, 2006 – September 7, 2008 | |||
Parliament leaders | |||
Prime Minister (cabinet) |
Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper (28th Canadian Ministry) February 6, 2006 – November 4, 2015 |
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Leader of the Opposition |
Hon. Bill Graham February 7, 2006 – December 2, 2006 |
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Hon. Stéphane Dion December 2, 2006 – December 10, 2008 |
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Party caucuses | |||
Government | Conservative Party | ||
Opposition | Liberal Party | ||
Third parties | Bloc Québécois | ||
New Democratic Party | |||
Green Party* | |||
Progressive Conservative*† | |||
* Party did not hold official party status. † Only in the Senate. |
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House of Commons | |||
Seating arrangements of the House of Commons |
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Speaker of the Commons |
Hon. Peter Milliken January 29, 2001 – June 2, 2011 |
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Government House Leader |
Hon. Rob Nicholson February 6, 2006 – January 4, 2007 |
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Hon. Peter Van Loan January 4, 2007 – October 30, 2008 |
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Opposition House Leader |
Hon. Ralph Goodale February 10, 2006 – September 6, 2010 |
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Members | 308 seats MP seats List of members |
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Senate | |||
Seating arrangements of the Senate |
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Speaker of the Senate |
Hon. Noël Kinsella February 8, 2006 – November 26, 2014 |
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Government Senate Leader |
Hon. Marjory LeBreton February 6, 2006 – July 14, 2013 |
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Opposition Senate Leader |
Hon. Dan Hays February 8, 2006 – January 18, 2007 |
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Hon. Céline Hervieux-Payette January 18, 2007 – November 3, 2008 |
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Senators | 105 seats senator seats List of senators |
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Sessions | |||
1st Session April 3, 2006 – September 14, 2007 |
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2nd Session October 16, 2007 – September 7, 2008 |
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The 39th Canadian Parliament was in session from April 3, 2006 until September 7, 2008. The membership was set by the 2006 federal election on January 23, 2006, and it has changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections. The Parliament was dissolved on September 7, 2008, with an election to determine the membership of the 40th Parliament occurring on October 14, 2008.
There were two sessions of the 39th Parliament:
The 39th Parliament was the longest minority government led by any federal government excepting Mackenzie King's Liberal Party government in the 14th Parliament, which fluctuated between majority and minority status. No other Conservative minority had previously lasted a full year, and only Lester B. Pearson's governments had lasted more than two.
The 39th Parliament was controlled by a Conservative Party minority, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the 28th Canadian Ministry, which assumed power on February 6, 2006. The Official Opposition was the Liberal Party, led first by interim leader Bill Graham, and then by Stéphane Dion for the remainder of the Parliament's life.
The Speaker is Liberal Peter Milliken. Milliken was re-elected as the Speaker of the House for the 39th Parliament on April 3, 2006. The Speaker only votes in a tie, and, as Milliken is a Liberal, the Liberal caucus was effectively reduced by one. This, along with the defection of Wajid Khan to the Conservatives enabled the Conservatives to pass legislation with the cooperation of any one of the three opposition parties: Liberals, Bloc Québécois, or New Democratic Party (NDP).