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126-512: In May 2003, Dieter Kohler was granted approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a television specialty channel called The Hunting Channel, which was described as service that "would be devoted to all aspects of hunting and fishing. It would include programming that educates the viewer on the conservation and future of wildlife, food preparation, and safety issues relating to

252-460: A British law was necessary, though Canada's consent was required. The Parliament of Canada was granted limited power to amend the constitution by a British Act of Parliament in 1949, but it was not permitted to affect the powers of provincial governments, the official positions of the English and French languages, rights of any class of persons with respect to schools, or the maximum five-year term of

378-560: A Canadian network licenses a television show from a US network and shows it in the same time slot, upon request by the Canadian broadcaster, Canadian broadcast distributors must replace the show on the US channel with the broadcast of the Canadian channel, along with any overlays and commercials. As Grey's Anatomy is on ABC , but is carried in Canada on CTV at the same time, for instance,

504-526: A confidence vote but was allowed to remain in power with the mutual consent of the leaders of the other parties. In practice, the House of Commons' scrutiny of the government is quite weak in comparison to the equivalent chamber in other countries using the Westminster system . With the plurality voting system used in parliamentary elections tending to provide the governing party with a large majority, and

630-460: A continental system, and trying to impose 35% Canadian content across North America is quite unrealistic. They also argue that satellite radio will boost Canadian culture by giving vital exposure to independent artists, instead of concentrating just on the country's stars, and point to the CRTC's successful extraction of promises to program 10% Canadian content on satellite services already operational in

756-454: A general election typically follows. Subject to the governor general's discretion, general elections are held four years after the previous on the third Monday in October or, on the recommendation of the chief electoral officer , the following Tuesday or Monday. The governor general may dissolve Parliament and call a general election outside of these fixed dates, conventionally on the advice of

882-457: A higher population. The governor still held significant personal influence over Canadian affairs until 1848, when responsible government was implemented in Canada. The actual site of Parliament shifted on a regular basis: From 1841 to 1844, it sat in Kingston , where the present Kingston General Hospital now stands; from 1844 until the 1849 fire that destroyed the building , the legislature

1008-404: A member of either house cannot be sued for slander based on words uttered in the course of parliamentary proceedings, the only restraint on debate being set by the standing orders of each house. Further, MPs and senators are immune to arrest in civil (but not criminal) cases, from jury service and attendance in courts as witnesses. They may, however, be disciplined by their colleagues for breach of

1134-413: A monitoring service would cost, the end-result was that no cable company elected to carry the station, either, leaving many Arabic-speaking Canadians using free-to-air satellite dishes to watch the station. The Canadian Jewish Congress has expressed its opinion over possible anti-Semitic incitement on this station and that the restrictions on Al Jazeera are appropriate, while the Canadian B'nai Brith

1260-582: A monthly allotment of 60 GB, beyond which Bell will charge $ 1.12 per GB to a maximum of $ 22.50. If a customer uses more than 300 GB a month, Bell will also be able to implement an additional charge of 75 cents per gigabyte. In May 2010, the CRTC ruled that Bell could not implement its usage-based billing system until all of its own retail customers had been moved off older, unlimited downloading plans. The requirement would have meant that Bell would have to move its oldest and most loyal customers. The CRTC also added that Bell would be required to offer to wholesale ISPs

1386-557: A more complicated problem for the CRTC. While an unlicensed satellite dish can often be identified easily, satellite radio receivers are much more compact and can rarely be easily identified, at least not without flagrantly violating provisions against unreasonable search and seizure in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms . Some observers argued that this influenced the CRTC's June 2005 decision to ease Canadian content restrictions on satellite radio (see above). The CRTC

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1512-459: A new "open entry" approach to foreign controlled "third language" (non-English, non-French) channels. Al Jazeera : Was approved by the CRTC in 2004 as an optional cable and satellite offering, but on the condition that any carrier distributing it must edit out any instances of illegal hate speech. Cable companies declared that these restrictions would make it too expensive to carry Al Jazeera. Although no cable company released data as to what such

1638-422: A party system that gives leaders strict control over their caucus (to the point that MPs may be expelled from their parties for voting against the instructions of party leaders), there is often limited need to compromise with other parties. Additionally, Canada has fewer MPs, a higher turnover rate of MPs after each election, and an Americanized system for selecting political party leaders, leaving them accountable to

1764-420: A plurality of voters in each of the country's federal electoral districts , or ridings. To run for one of the 338 seats in the lower house , an individual must be at least 18 years old. Each member holds office until Parliament is dissolved, after which they may seek re-election. The ridings are regularly reorganized according to the results of each decennial national census ; however, the "senatorial clause" of

1890-410: A policy of non-interference. In May 2011, in response to the increase presence of Over-the-Top (OTT) programming, the CRTC put a call out to the public to provide input on the impact OTT programming is having on Canadian content and existing broadcasting subscriptions through satellite and cable. On October 5, 2011, the CRTC released their findings that included consultations with stakeholders from

2016-481: A province's borders, were regulated by provincial authorities until court rulings during the 1990s affirmed federal jurisdiction over the sector, which also included some fifty small independent incumbents, most of them in Ontario and Quebec. Notable in this group were: The CRTC regulates all Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications activities and enforces rules it creates to carry out the policies assigned to it;

2142-496: A series of stages in each chamber, beginning with the first reading . It is not, however, until the bill's second reading that the general principles of the proposed law are debated; though rejection is a possibility, such is not common for government bills. Next, the bill is sent by the house where it is being debated to one of several committees. The Standing Orders outline the general mandate for all committees, allowing them to review: bills as they pertain to relevant departments;

2268-598: A statement calling on the CRTC to review its approval of two new radio stations, Frank Torres' CIDG-FM and Astral Media 's CJOT-FM , which it had licensed in August 2008 to serve the Ottawa - Gatineau radio market. Moore asked the commission to assess whether the francophone population of the Ottawa-Gatineau area was sufficiently well-served by existing French radio services, and to consider licensing one or more of

2394-429: A tie. The speaker customarily votes in favour of the status quo . The constitution establishes the quorums to be 15 senators in the upper house and 20 members in the lower house, the speaker of each body being counted within the tally. Voting can thus take three possible forms: whenever possible, leaving the matter open for future consideration and allowing for further discussion by the house; when no further discussion

2520-472: A way that opposes the will of the democratically elected house. The federal government consists of the monarch (represented by the governor general)-in-council , which is a collection of ministers of the Crown appointed by the governor general to direct the use of executive powers . Per the tenets of responsible government , these individuals are almost always drawn from Parliament, and are predominantly from

2646-454: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ( CRTC ; French : Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes ) is a public organization in Canada with mandate as a regulatory agency for broadcasting and telecommunications. It

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2772-533: Is defined by the Constitution Act, 1867 , and various conventions . Neither he nor his viceroy, however, participates in the legislative process save for signifying the King's approval to a bill passed by both houses of Parliament, known as the granting of Royal Assent , which is necessary for a bill to be enacted as law. All federal bills thus begin with the phrase "Now, therefore, His Majesty, by and with

2898-517: Is demanded by members—requiring at least two in the Senate and five in the House of Commons. Members of both houses vote by rising in their places to be counted; the speaker of the Senate is permitted to vote on a motion or bill—though does so irregularly, in the interest of impartiality—and, if there is no majority, the motion is defeated. In the Commons, however, the speaker cannot vote, unless to break

3024-490: Is not unlawful as provided by The Radiocommuncation Act Section 4(1)(b), which states: "No person shall, except under and in accordance with a radio authorization, install, operate or possess radio apparatus, other than (b)a radio apparatus that is capable only of the reception of broadcasting and that is not a distribution undertaking. (radio apparatus" means a device or combination of devices intended for, or capable of being used for, radiocommunication)." Satellite radio poses

3150-500: Is opposed to any approval of Al Jazeera in Canada. The CRTC ruling applied to Al Jazeera and not to its English-speaking sister network Al Jazeera English , which was launched two years after the ruling. Fox News Channel : Until 2004, the CRTC's apparent reluctance to grant a digital licence to Fox News Channel under the same policy which made it difficult for RAI to enter the country – same-genre competition from foreign services – had angered many conservative Canadians, who believed

3276-410: Is possible, taking into account that the matter could somehow be brought back in future and be decided by a majority in the house; or, leaving a bill in its existing form rather than having it amended. For example, during the vote on the 2005 budget , which was considered a vote of confidence , the speaker of the House of Commons cast the tie-breaking vote during the second reading , moving in favour of

3402-525: Is responsible for allocating frequencies and call signs, managing the broadcast spectrum, and regulating other technical issues such as interference with electronics equipment. The CRTC has in the past regulated the prices cable television broadcast distributors are allowed to charge. In most major markets, however, prices are no longer regulated due to increased competition for broadcast distribution from satellite television . The CRTC also regulates which channels broadcast distributors must or may offer. Per

3528-583: Is run by up to 13 full-time members (including the chairman, the vice-chairman of broadcasting, and the vice-chairman of telecommunications) appointed by the Cabinet for renewable terms of up to five years. However, unlike the more directly political appointees of the American Federal Communications Commission , the CRTC is an arms-length regulatory body with more autonomous authority over telecommunications. For example,

3654-571: Is the federal legislature of Canada , seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa , and is composed of three parts: the King , the Senate , and the House of Commons . By constitutional convention , the House of Commons is dominant, with the Senate rarely opposing its will. The Senate reviews legislation from a less partisan standpoint and may initiate certain bills. The monarch or his representative, normally

3780-465: Is the 44th Parliament since Confederation in 1867. The official languages of the Parliament are English and French . The body consists of the King of Canada , represented by a viceroy , the governor general ; an upper house , the Senate ; and a lower house , the House of Commons . Each element has its own officers and organization. Each has a distinct role, but work in conjunction within

3906-554: Is to create a market in which Canadian networks can realize revenue through advertising sales in spite of their inability to match the rates that the much larger American networks can afford to pay for syndicated programming. This policy is also why Canadian viewers do not see American advertisements during the Super Bowl , even when tuning into one of the many American networks carried on Canadian televisions. The CRTC also regulates radio in Canada, including community radio , where

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4032-593: The Reform Act and resulting changes to the Parliament of Canada Act , in 2015, were a response to this trend and an attempt to increase the power and independence of MPs. Parliament possesses a number of privileges, collectively and accordingly known as parliamentary privilege , each house being the guardian and administrator of its own set of rights. Parliament itself determines the extent of parliamentary privilege, each house overseeing its own affairs, but

4158-580: The Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services (CCTS) opened its doors. Third Party ISP Access refers to a ruling forcing Cable operators (MSO) to offer Internet access to third party resellers. The commission currently has some jurisdiction over the provision of local landline telephone service in Canada. This is largely limited to the major incumbent carriers, such as Bell Canada and Telus , for traditional landline service (but not Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)). It has begun

4284-496: The Constitution Act, 1867 guarantees each province at least as many MPs as it has senators, and the "grandfather clause" permits each province as many MPs as it had in either 1976 or 1985. The existence of this legislation has pushed the size of the House of Commons above the required minimum of 282 seats. The powers of the Parliament of Canada are limited by the constitution, which divides legislative abilities between

4410-688: The United States but not in Canada. Users of these unlicensed services contend that they are not directly breaking any laws by simply using the equipment. The equipment is usually purchased from an American supplier (although some merchants have attempted to set up shop in Canada) and the services are billed to an American postal address. The advent of online billing and the easy availability of credit card services has made it relatively easy for almost anyone to maintain an account in good standing, regardless of where they actually live. Sec. 9(1)(c) of

4536-709: The War of 1812 , American troops set fire to the buildings of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada in York (now Toronto ). In 1841, the British government united the two Canadas into the Province of Canada , with a single legislature composed of, again, an assembly, council, and governor general; the 84 members of the lower chamber were equally divided among the two former provinces, though Lower Canada had

4662-414: The governor general , provides royal assent to make bills into law. The governor general, on behalf of the monarch, summons and appoints the 105 senators on the advice of the prime minister , while each of the 338 members of the House of Commons – called members of Parliament (MPs) – represents an electoral district , commonly referred to as a riding , and are elected by Canadian voters residing in

4788-555: The legislative process . This format was inherited from the United Kingdom and is a near-identical copy of the Parliament at Westminster , the greatest differences stemming from situations unique to Canada, such as the impermanent nature of the monarch's residency in the country and the lack of a peerage to form the upper chamber. Only those who sit in the House of Commons are usually called members of Parliament (MPs);

4914-407: The notwithstanding clause . Such clause, however, has never been used by the federal parliament, though it has been employed by some provincial legislatures. Laws violating any part of the constitution are invalid and may be ruled unconstitutional by the courts . Each of Parliament's two chambers is presided over by a speaker ; that for the Senate is a member appointed by the governor general on

5040-507: The speaker of that house. They are sometimes referred to as Agents of Parliament . Another key official is the parliamentary librarian , a position established in 1871 under the Library of Parliament Act , charged with directing the Library of Parliament . The Constitution Act, 1867 , outlines that the governor general alone is responsible for summoning Parliament, though it remains the monarch's prerogative to prorogue and dissolve

5166-539: The "newest" province, although "oldest" English settlement ), is represented by six senators. Since 1975 each of Canada's territories is represented by 1 senator—the Northwest Territories , Yukon , and (since its formation in 1999) Nunavut . An additional 4 or 8 senators may be appointed by the governor general, provided the approval of the King is secured and the four divisions are equally represented. This power has been employed once since 1867: to ensure

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5292-578: The 1990s, the CRTC rejected applications by Milestone Radio to launch a radio station in Toronto which would have been Canada's first urban music station; in both cases, the CRTC instead granted licences to stations that duplicated formats already offered by other stations in the Toronto market. The decision has been widely cited as one of the single most significant reasons why Canadian hip hop had difficulty establishing its commercial viability throughout

5418-469: The 1990s. The CRTC finally granted a licence to Milestone in 2000, after a cabinet order-in-council directed the commission to license two new radio stations that reflected the cultural diversity of the Toronto market, and CFXJ-FM launched in 2001. CHOI-FM : The CRTC announced it would not renew the licence of the popular radio station CHOI-FM in Quebec City , after having previously sanctioned

5544-460: The 35% rule on local radio stations, was necessary because unlicensed U.S. receivers were already flooding into the country, so that enforcing a ban on these receivers would be nearly impossible (see below). This explanation did not satisfy cultural nationalists, who demanded that the federal cabinet overturn the decision and mandate a minimum of 35% Canadian content. Supporters of the decision argue that satellite radio can only be feasibly set up as

5670-578: The Broadcasting Act the commission also gives priority to Canadian signals—many non-Canadian channels which compete with Canadian channels are thus not approved for distribution in Canada. The CRTC argues that allowing free trade in television stations would overwhelm the smaller Canadian market, preventing it from upholding its responsibility to foster a national conversation. Some people, however, consider this tantamount to censorship . The CRTC's simultaneous substitution rules require that when

5796-603: The CRTC outraged some Canadian cultural nationalists (such as the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting ) and labour unions by licensing two companies, Canadian Satellite Radio and Sirius Canada to offer satellite radio services in Canada. The two companies are in partnership with American firms XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio respectively, and in accordance with the CRTC decision will only need to offer ten percent Canadian content. The CRTC contends that this low level of Canadian content, particularly when compared to

5922-496: The CRTC requires that at least 15% of each station's output must be locally produced spoken word content. In a major May 1999 decision on "New Media", the CRTC held that under the Broadcasting Act the CRTC had jurisdiction over certain content communicated over the Internet including audio and video, but excluding content that is primarily alphanumeric such as emails and most webpages. It also issued an exemption order committing to

6048-666: The CRTC was erroneously criticized for the CBSC's decisions pertaining to the airing of Howard Stern 's terrestrial radio show in Canada in the late 1990s, as well as the CBSC's controversial ruling on the Dire Straits song " Money for Nothing ". The commission is not fully equivalent to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission , which has additional powers over technical matters, in broadcasting and other aspects of communications, in that country. In Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly Industry Canada)

6174-638: The CRTC's decisions rely more on a judiciary process relying on evidence submitted during public consultations, rather than along party lines as the American FCC is prone to do. The CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC) assists in developing information, procedures and guidelines for the CRTC's regulatory activities. Parliament of Canada Later added some jurisdiction from: His Majesty's Loyal Opposition Parties with official status Parties without official status The Parliament of Canada ( French : Parlement du Canada )

6300-423: The Cabinet had become eclipsed by prime ministerial power. Thus, defeats of majority governments on issues of confidence are very rare. In contrast, a minority government is more volatile, and is more likely to fall due to loss of confidence. The last prime ministers to lose confidence votes were Stephen Harper in 2011, Paul Martin in 2005 and Joe Clark in 1979, all involving minority governments. The passage of

6426-608: The Canadian marketplace, a move intended to create a public outcry and a threat that Canadians would resort to using satellite viewing cards obtained via the US in order to watch RAI, even though these cards were either grey market or black market , according to different analyses (see below). Following unprecedented foreign led and domestic political interference with the CRTC's quasi-judicial independent regulatory process, within six months of its original decision, an abrupt CRTC "review" of its policy on third-language foreign services determined to drop virtually all restrictions and adopt

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6552-580: The Commons' right to deny entry to anyone, including even the monarch (but with an exception for royal messengers). Once the MPs are gathered behind the Bar of the Senate—save for the prime minister, the only MP permitted into the Senate proper to sit near the throne dais—the House of Commons speaker presents to the monarch or governor general, and formally claims the rights and privileges of the House of Commons; and then

6678-586: The Constitution): 24 for Ontario , 24 for Quebec , 24 for the Maritimes (10 for Nova Scotia , 10 for New Brunswick , and four for Prince Edward Island ), and 24 for the Western provinces (six each for Manitoba , British Columbia , Saskatchewan , and Alberta ). Additionally, senators are appointed from two geographic areas not part of any senatorial division. Newfoundland and Labrador (since 1949

6804-519: The Federal Court of Canada. CBC Newsworld : The CRTC licensed the CBC on November 30, 1987, to provide a national all-news television network. Its competitor applicant, Alberta -based Allarcom , appealed this decision to the House of Commons of Canada . It was overturned and there were questions of whether federal politicians should meddle in CRTC decisions. Because of this the network launch

6930-618: The French language applications, which included a Christian music station, a community radio station and a campus radio station for the Université du Québec en Outaouais , in addition to or instead of the approved stations. The review ultimately identified a viable frequency for a third station, and CJFO-FM launched in 2010. Bell Canada usage-based billing : On October 28, 2010, the CRTC handed down its final decision on how wholesale customers can be billed by large network owners. Under

7056-415: The House of Commons establishing legislative committees, the chair of the latter being appointed by the speaker of the House of Commons, and is normally one of his deputies. Whichever committee is used, any amendments proposed by the committee are considered by the whole house in the report stage. Furthermore, additional amendments not proposed by the committee may also be made. After the report stage (or, if

7182-497: The House of Commons to do so before adjourning. The new parliamentary session is marked by the opening of Parliament , a ceremony where a range of topics can be addressed in a Speech From the Throne given by the monarch, the governor general, or a royal delegate. The usher of the black rod invites MPs to these events, knocking on the doors of the lower house that have been slammed shut —a symbolic arrangement designed to illustrate

7308-463: The House of Commons, of which most are put forward by ministers of the Crown , making them government bills, as opposed to private members' bills or private senators' bills, which are launched by MPs and senators, respectively, who are not in cabinet. Draft legislation may also be categorized as public bills, if they apply to the general public, or private bills , if they concern a particular person or limited group of people. Each bill then goes through

7434-408: The House of Commons, the only body to which ministers are held accountable, typically during Question Period , wherein ministers are obliged to answer questions posed by members of the opposition. Hence, the person who can command the confidence of the lower chamber—usually the leader of the party with the most seats therein—is typically appointed as prime minister. Should that person not hold a seat in

7560-440: The House of Commons, the prime minister will, by convention, seek election to one at the earliest possible opportunity; frequently, in such situations, a junior member of Parliament who holds a safe seat will resign to allow the prime minister to run for that riding in a by-election . If no party holds a majority, it is customary for the governor general to summon a minority government or coalition government , depending on which

7686-709: The Parliament of the United Kingdom to enact a constitutional amendment in 1982, in the form of the Canada Act 1982 which included the Constitution Act, 1982 . This legislation terminated the power of the British Parliament's ability to legislate for Canada and the authority to amend the constitution was transferred to the Canadian House of Commons, the Senate, and the provincial legislative assemblies, acting jointly. Most amendments require

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7812-594: The Radiocommunication Act creates a prohibition against all decoding of encrypted programming signals, followed by an exception where authorization is received from the person holding the lawful right in Canada to transmit and authorize decoding of the signal. This means receiving the encrypted programming of DishNetwork or DirecTV, even with a grey market subscription, may be construed as unlawful (this remains an unresolved Constitutional issue). Notwithstanding, possession of DishNetwork or DirecTV equipment

7938-737: The Senate responsible for security in that chamber, as well as for protocol, administrative, and logistical details of important events taking place on Parliament Hill, such as the Speech from the Throne , Royal Assent ceremonies, state funerals , or the investiture of a new governor general. Other officers of Parliament include the auditor general , chief electoral officer , official languages commissioner , privacy commissioner , information commissioner , conflict of interest and ethics commissioner , public sector integrity commissioner , and commissioner of lobbying . These individuals are appointed by either one or both houses, to which they report through

8064-650: The Senate was that used in the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada after 1849, while that of the House of Commons was inherited from the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada , first used in 1845. Following the burning of the Centre Block on 3 February 1916, the City of London , England, donated a replacement, which is still used today. The temporary mace, made of wood, and used until

8190-480: The Senate. Members of the two houses of Parliament must also express their loyalty to the sovereign and defer to his authority, as the Oath of Allegiance must be sworn by all new parliamentarians before they may take their seats. Further, the official opposition is formally called His Majesty's Loyal Opposition , to signify that, though they may be opposed to the incumbent Cabinet's policies, they remain dedicated to

8316-574: The United States as important concessions. Despite popular perception that the CRTC banned Sirius Canada from broadcasting Howard Stern 's program, this is not the case. Sirius Canada in fact initially chose not to air Stern based on the possibility of a future issue with the CRTC, although the company reversed its decision and began offering Howard Stern in 2006. 2008 Ottawa radio licences : On November 21, 2008, federal Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages James Moore issued

8442-471: The advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows ..." and, as such, the Crown is immune from acts of Parliament unless expressed otherwise in the act itself. The governor general will normally perform the task of granting Royal Assent, though the monarch may also do so, at the request of either the Cabinet or the viceroy, who may defer assent to the sovereign as per

8568-426: The advice of the prime minister, while the equivalent for the House of Commons is a member of Parliament, who is elected by the other members of that body. In general, the powers of the latter are greater than those of the former. Following the British model, the upper chamber is essentially self-regulating, but the lower chamber is controlled by the chair, in a majoritarian model that gives great power and authority to

8694-427: The apolitical Crown. The upper house of the Parliament of Canada, the Senate ( French : Sénat ), is a group of 105 individuals appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister; all those appointed must, per the constitution, be a minimum of 30 years old, be a subject of the monarch, and own property with a net worth of at least $ 4,000, in addition to owning land worth no less than $ 4,000 within

8820-451: The assent of the original house in order to stand part of the final bill. If one house passes amendments that the other will not agree to, and the two houses cannot resolve their disagreements, the bill fails. Once the bill is passed in identical form by both houses, it is presented for Royal Assent ; in theory, the governor general has three options: grant Royal Assent, thereby making the bill into law; withhold Royal Assent, thereby vetoing

8946-638: The best-known of these is probably the Canadian content rules. The CRTC reports to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Canadian Heritage , which is responsible for the Broadcasting Act, and has an informal relationship with Industry Canada , which is responsible for the Telecommunications Act . Provisions in these two acts, along with less-formal instructions issued by the federal cabinet known as orders-in-council , represent

9072-577: The bill, and recommend amendments. The bill may also be committed to the Committee of the Whole , a body consisting of, as the name suggests, all the members of the chamber in question. Finally, the bill could be referred to an ad hoc committee established solely to review the piece of legislation in question. Each chamber has their own procedure for dealing with this, with the Senate establishing special committees that function like most other committees, and

9198-441: The bill; or reserve the bill for the signification of the King's pleasure , which allows the sovereign to personally grant or withhold assent. If the governor general does grant Royal Assent, the monarch may, within two years, disallow the bill, thus annulling the law in question. In the federal sphere, no bill has ever been denied royal approval. In conformity with the British model, only the House of Commons may originate bills for

9324-481: The broadcasting industry. Moreover, it does not deal with the availability of spectrum for mobile phone service, which is part of the Industry Canada mandate, nor the maintenance of competition, which is largely the responsibility of The Competition Bureau . Any transfer of more than 30% of the ownership of a broadcasting licence (including cable/satellite distribution licences) requires advance approval of

9450-455: The budget and allowing its passage. If the vote on the third reading had again been tied, the speaker would have been expected to vote against the bill, bringing down the government. Simultaneous interpretation for both official languages, English and French , is provided at all times during sessions of both houses. Laws, known in their draft form as bills , may be introduced by any member of either house. However, most bills originate in

9576-480: The budget is always a matter of confidence. Where a government has lost the confidence of the House of Commons, the prime minister is obliged to either resign (allowing the governor general to appoint the leader of the Opposition to the office) or seek the dissolution of Parliament and the call of a general election. A precedent, however, was set in 1968, when the government of Lester B. Pearson unexpectedly lost

9702-434: The bulk of the CRTC's jurisdiction. In many cases, such as the cabinet-directed prohibition on foreign ownership for broadcasters and the legislated principle of the predominance of Canadian content, these acts and orders often leave the CRTC less room to change policy than critics sometimes suggest, and the result is that the commission is often the lightning rod for policy criticism that could arguably be better directed at

9828-634: The cable, satellite, or other broadcast distributor must send the CTV feed over the signal of the carried ABC affiliate, even where the ABC version is somehow different, particularly commercials. (These rules are not intended to apply in case of differing episodes of the same series; this difference may not always be communicated to distributors, although this is rather rare.) Viewers via home antenna who receive both American and Canadian networks on their personal sets are not affected by sim-sub. The goal of this policy

9954-403: The chair. In 1991, however, the powers of the speaker of the Senate were expanded, which reorganized the balance of power to be closer to the framework of the Commons. The usher of the black rod of the Senate of Canada is the most senior protocol position in Parliament, being the personal messenger to the legislature of the sovereign and governor general. The usher is also a floor officer of

10080-407: The commission has very little to do with the regulation of mobile phone service, outside of "undue preference" issues (for example, a carrier offering a superior rate or service to some subscribers and not others without a good reason). It does not regulate service rates, service quality, or other business practices, and commission approval is not necessary for wireless provider sales or mergers as in

10206-485: The commission. One condition normally taken into account in such a decision is the level of foreign ownership; federal regulations require that Canadian citizens ultimately own a majority of a broadcast licence. Usually this takes the form of a public process, where interested parties can express their concerns and sometimes including a public hearing, followed by a commission decision. While landline and mobile telephone providers must also be majority-owned by Canadians under

10332-419: The committee made no amendments to the bill, immediately after the committee stage), the final phase of the bill—the third reading —occurs, at which time further amendments are not permitted in the House of Commons, but are allowed in the Senate. If it passes the third reading, the bill is sent to the other house of Parliament, where it passes through the same stages; amendments made by the second chamber require

10458-430: The commons will support. The lower house may attempt to bring down the government by either rejecting a motion of confidence —generally initiated by a minister to reinforce the Cabinet's support in the commons—or by passing a motion of no confidence—introduced by the opposition to display its distrust of the Cabinet. Important bills that form part of the government's agenda will usually be considered matters of confidence;

10584-409: The consent of the Senate, the House of Commons, and the legislative assemblies of two-thirds of the provinces representing a majority of the population; the unanimous consent of provincial legislative assemblies is required for certain amendments, including those affecting the sovereign, the governor general, the provincial lieutenant governors , the official status of the English and French languages,

10710-469: The constitution bars it from conferring any "exceeding those at the passing of such an Act held, enjoyed, and exercised by the [British House of] Commons... and by the Members thereof." The foremost dispensation held by both houses of Parliament is that of freedom of speech in debate; nothing said within the chambers may be questioned by any court or other institution outside of Parliament. In particular,

10836-508: The constitution. As both the monarch and his or her representatives are traditionally barred from the House of Commons, any parliamentary ceremonies in which they are involved take place in the Senate chamber. The upper and lower houses do, however, each contain a mace , which indicates the authority of the King-in-Parliament and the privilege granted to that body by him, both bearing a crown at their apex. The original mace for

10962-579: The faults of the American federal system, with its relatively powerful states and a less powerful federal government. The British North America Act limited the powers of the provinces, providing that all subjects not explicitly delegated to them by that document remain within the authority of the Canadian Parliament, while simultaneously giving the provinces unique powers in certain agreed-upon areas of jurisdiction. Full legislative autonomy

11088-509: The federal Telecommunications Act , the CRTC is not responsible for enforcement of this provision. In fact, the commission does not require licences at all for telephone companies, and CRTC approval is therefore not generally required for the sale of a telephone company, unless said company also owns a broadcast licence. Since 1987, the CRTC has been involved in several notable decisions, some of which led to controversy and debate. Milestone Radio : In two separate rounds of licence hearings in

11214-399: The federal and provincial legislatures ; in general, provincial legislatures may only pass laws relating to topics explicitly reserved for them by the constitution (such as education, provincial officers, municipal government, charitable institutions, and "matters of a merely local or private nature") while any matter not under the exclusive authority of the provincial legislatures is within

11340-521: The federal parliament regulates marriage and divorce in general, but the solemnization of marriage is regulated only by the provincial legislatures. Other examples include the powers of both the federal and provincial parliaments to impose taxes, borrow money, punish crimes, and regulate agriculture. The powers of Parliament are also limited by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms , though most of its provisions can be overridden by use of

11466-545: The go-ahead to implement usage-based billing. This ruling according to Teksavvy handcuffs the competitive market. This has been asked by Stephen Harper and Parliament to have the decision reviewed. According to a tweet by Industry Minister Tony Clement , unless the CRTC reverses this decision, the government will use its override power to reverse the decision. While an exact number has not been determined, thousands of Canadians have purchased and used what they contend to be grey market radio and television services, licensed in

11592-496: The government itself. Complaints against broadcasters, such as concerns around offensive programming, are dealt with by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC), an independent broadcast industry association, rather than by the CRTC, although CBSC decisions can be appealed to the CRTC if necessary. However, the CRTC is also sometimes erroneously criticized for CBSC decisions — for example,

11718-410: The gradual deregulation of such services where, in the commission's opinion, a sufficient level of competition exists. The CRTC is sometimes blamed for the current state of the mobile phone industry in Canada, in which there are only three national mobile network operators – Bell Mobility , Telus Mobility , and Rogers Wireless – as well as a handful of MVNOs operating on these networks. In fact,

11844-430: The imposition of taxes or for the appropriation of Crown funds. The constitutional amendment procedure does make provision for the Commons overcoming an otherwise-required Senate resolution in most cases. Otherwise, the theoretical power of both houses over bills is equal, with the assent of each being required for passage. In practice, however, the House of Commons is dominant, with the Senate rarely exercising its powers in

11970-421: The leader of the post-fascist party of Italy) had unilaterally terminated a 20-year-old agreement and stripped all of its 1,500 to 2,000 annual hours of programming from Telelatino (TLN), a Canadian-run channel which had devoted 95% of its prime time schedule to RAI programs for 20 years since TLN was founded. All Italian-Canadians were denied RAI programming by RAI International's removal of its programming from

12096-439: The legislature cease all legislative business until the governor general issues another proclamation calling for a new session to begin; except for the election of a speaker for the House of Commons and his or her claiming of that house's privileges, the same procedures for the opening of Parliament are again followed. After a number of such sessions—having ranged from one to seven —a Parliament comes to an end via dissolution , and

12222-463: The legislature, after which the writs for a general federal election are usually dropped by the governor general at Rideau Hall . Upon completion of the election, the governor general, on the advice of the prime minister, then issues a royal proclamation summoning Parliament to assemble. On the date given, new MPs are sworn in and then are, along with returning MPs, called to the Senate, where they are instructed to elect their speaker and return to

12348-563: The legislature. While her father, King George VI , had been the first Canadian monarch to grant royal assent in the legislature—doing so in 1939—Queen Elizabeth II was the first sovereign to deliver the speech from the throne . This event, in 1957, was the first time television cameras were allowed into the chambers of parliament, as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation broadcast the speech nation-wide. The Canadian House of Commons and Senate last requested

12474-551: The maces of the House of Commons and Senate crossed behind. The budget for the Parliament of Canada for the 2010 fiscal year was $ 583,567,000. Following the cession of New France to the United Kingdom in the 1763 Treaty of Paris , Canada was governed according to the Royal Proclamation issued by King George III in that same year. To this was added the Quebec Act , by which the power to make ordinances

12600-423: The network was deliberately being kept out due to its perceived conservative bias , particularly given the long-standing availability of services such as CNN and BBC World in Canada. On November 18, 2004, however, the CRTC approved an application by cable companies to offer Fox News Channel on the digital cable tier. Fox commenced broadcasting in Canada shortly thereafter. Satellite radio : In June 2005,

12726-413: The new one arrived from the United Kingdom in 1917, is still carried into the Senate each 3 February. The Senate's 1.6-metre-long mace comprises brass and gold. The Senate may not sit if its mace is not in the chamber; it typically sits on the table with the crown facing the throne, though it may, during certain ceremonies, be held by the mace bearer, standing adjacent to the governor general or monarch in

12852-569: The party membership rather than caucus, as is the case in the United Kingdom; John Robson of the National Post opined that Canada's parliament had become a body akin to the American Electoral College , "its sole and ceremonial role to confirm the executive in power." At the end of the 20th century and into the 21st, analysts—such as Jeffrey Simpson , Donald Savoie , and John Gomery —argued that both Parliament and

12978-477: The passage of the bill establishing the Goods and Services Tax , Prime Minister Brian Mulroney advised Queen Elizabeth II to appoint extra senators in 1990. This results in a temporary maximum number of senators of 113, which must through attrition return to its normal number of 105. The elected component of the Canadian Parliament is the House of Commons ( French : Chambre des communes ), with each member chosen by

13104-468: The plan which starts within 90 days, Bell will be able to charge wholesale service providers a flat monthly fee to connect to its network, and for a set monthly usage limit per each ISP customer the ISP has. Beyond that set limit, individual users will be charged per gigabyte, depending on the speed of their connections. Customers using the fastest connections of five megabits per second, for example, will have

13230-461: The prime minister, which may be preceded by a successful motion of no confidence . The timing of such dissolutions may be politically motivated. Both houses determine motions by voice vote ; the presiding officer puts the question and, after listening to shouts of "yea" and "nay" from the members, announces which side is victorious. This decision by the Speaker is final, unless a recorded vote

13356-431: The program and policy plans, as well as the projected expenditures, and the effectiveness of the implementation thereof, for the same departments; and the analysis of the performance of those departments. Most often, bills end up before a standing committee , which is a body of members or senators who specialize in a particular subject (such as foreign affairs ), and who may hear testimony from ministers and experts, debate

13482-436: The province the candidate seeks to represent. Senators served for life until 1965, when a constitutional amendment imposed a mandatory retirement age of 75. Senators may, however, resign their seats prior to that mark, and can lose their position should they fail to attend two consecutive sessions of Parliament. The principle underlying the Senate's composition is equality amongst Canada's geographic regions (called Divisions in

13608-494: The provinces of New Brunswick , Nova Scotia , and Canada—with the Province of Canada split into Quebec and Ontario —into a single federation called the Dominion of Canada . Though the form of the new federal legislature was again nearly identical to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the decision to retain this model was made with heavy influence from the just-concluded American Civil War , which indicated to many Canadians

13734-635: The rapid progress in the industry they are working on a more in depth study to be concluded in May 2012. The CRTC does not directly regulate rates, quality of service issues, or business practices for Internet service providers. However, the CRTC does continually monitor the sector and associated trends. To handle complains, the CRTC was ordered by the Government of Canada to create an independent, industry-funded agency to resolve complaints from consumers and small business retail telecom customers. In July 2007,

13860-542: The riding. The governor general also summons and calls together the House of Commons, and may prorogue or dissolve Parliament , in order to either end a parliamentary session or call a general election . The governor general also delivers the throne speech at the opening of each new Parliament (the monarch occasionally has done so, instead of the governor general, when visiting Canada). The current Parliament , summoned by Governor General Mary Simon in November 2021,

13986-481: The rules, including contempt of Parliament —disobedience of its authority; for example, giving false testimony before a parliamentary committee—and breaches of its own privileges. The Canadian Heraldic Authority , on 15 April 2008, granted the Parliament of Canada, as an institution, a heraldic achievement composed of symbols of the three elements of Parliament: the escutcheon of the Royal Arms of Canada with

14112-439: The same usage insurance plan it sells to retail customers. Bell appealed both requirements, citing that the rules do not apply to cable companies and that they constituted proactive rate regulation by the CRTC, which goes against government official policy direction that the regulator only intervene in markets after a competitive problem has been proven. In Thursday's decision, the CRTC rescinded both requirements, thereby giving Bell

14238-419: The scope of the federal Parliament's power. Thus, Parliament alone can pass laws relating to, among other things, the postal service, census, military , navigation and shipping, fishing, currency, banking, weights and measures, bankruptcy, copyrights, patents, First Nations , and naturalization . In some cases, however, the jurisdictions of the federal and provincial parliaments may be more vague. For instance,

14364-406: The speaker of the Senate, on behalf of the Crown, replies in acknowledgement after the sovereign or viceroy takes their seat on the throne. The speech is then read aloud. It can outline the program of the Cabinet for the upcoming legislative session, as well as other matters chosen by the speaker. A parliamentary session lasts until a prorogation, after which, without ceremony, both chambers of

14490-433: The station for failing to uphold its promise of performance and then, during the years following, receiving about 50 complaints about offensive behaviour by radio jockeys which similarly contravened CRTC rules on broadcast hate speech. Many thousands of the station's fans marched in the streets and on Parliament Hill against the decision, and the parent company of CHOI, Genex Corp., appealed the CRTC decision unsuccessfully to

14616-434: The telecommunication industry, media producers, and cultural leaders among others. The evidence was inconclusive, suggesting that an increased availability of OTT options is not having a negative impact on the availability or diversity of Canadian content, one of the key policy mandates of the CRTC, nor are there signs that there has been a significant decline of television subscriptions through cable or satellite. However, given

14742-487: The term is not usually applied to senators (except in legislation, such as the Parliament of Canada Act ), even though the Senate is a part of Parliament. Though legislatively less powerful, senators take higher positions in the national order of precedence . No individual may serve in more than one chamber at the same time. The sovereign's place in the legislature, formally known as the King-in-Parliament ,

14868-519: The use of firearms and bow and arrow hunting." The channel launched in September 2004. While initially being available only through a few smaller television service providers such as Access Cable and Westman Communications, it has since become widely available across Canada on all major television service providers including Cogeco , Rogers Cable , Shaw Cable , Shaw Direct , Videotron , Bell Satellite TV , and Eastlink . In March 2019, Wild TV

14994-659: Was created in 1976 when it took over responsibility for regulating telecommunication carriers. Prior to 1976, it was known as the Canadian Radio and Television Commission , which was established in 1968 by the Parliament of Canada to replace the Board of Broadcast Governors . Its headquarters is located in the Central Building (Édifice central) of Les Terrasses de la Chaudière in Gatineau , Quebec . The CRTC

15120-437: Was delayed from September 1, 1988, to July 31, 1989. RAI International : In Summer 2004, this Italian government-controlled channel was denied permission to broadcast independently in Canada on the grounds that it had acted and was likely to act contrary to established Canadian policies. RAI International's latest politically appointed President (an avowed right wing nationalist and former spokesperson for Giorgio Almirante,

15246-549: Was granted by the Statute of Westminster, 1931 , passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Though the statute allowed the Parliament of Canada to repeal or amend previously British laws as they applied to Canada, it did not permit amendment to Canada's constitution, including the British North America Acts. Hence, whenever a constitutional amendment was sought by the Canadian Parliament, the enactment of

15372-517: Was granted to a governor-in-council , both the governor and council being appointed by the British monarch in Westminster, on the advice of his or her ministers there. In 1791, the Province of Quebec was divided into Upper and Lower Canada , each with an elected legislative assembly , an appointed legislative council , and a governor, mirroring the parliamentary structure in Britain. During

15498-554: Was in Montreal ; and, after a few years of alternating between Toronto and Quebec City , the legislature was finally moved to Ottawa in 1856, Queen Victoria having chosen that city as Canada's capital in 1857. The modern-day Parliament of Canada came into existence in 1867, in which year the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland passed the British North America Act, 1867 , uniting

15624-413: Was launched in several European markets including Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Slovenia. On January 28, 2010, Wild TV HD was launched as a high definition simulcast of Wild TV's standard definition feed. It is available on Rogers Cable , MTS , Optik TV and SaskTel . On December 4, 2013, Videotron added Wild TV HD. This article about a television station in Canada

15750-681: Was originally known as the Canadian Radio-Television Commission. In 1976, jurisdiction over telecommunications services, most of which were then delivered by monopoly common carriers (for example, telephone companies), was transferred to it from the Canadian Transport Commission although the abbreviation CRTC remained the same. On the telecom side, the CRTC originally regulated only privately held common carriers: Other telephone companies, many of which were publicly owned and entirely within

15876-487: Was renamed Wild Pursuit Network when it entered into a partnership with Pursuit Channel in the United States. The partnership ended in the late summer of 2019 and the channel's name was changed back to Wild TV. Wild TV reached its first international distribution agreement with TelstraClear in New Zealand . It first aired on July 1, 2009 on TelstraClear 's InHomeTV service (Channel 39). In 2010 and 2011, Wild TV

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