List of Canadian federal parliaments

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The Parliament of Canada is the legislative body of the government of Canada. The Parliament is composed of the House of Commons (lower house), the Senate (upper house), and the sovereign, represented by the governor general. Most major legislation originates from the House, as it is the only body that is directly elected. A new parliament begins after an election of the House of Commons and can sit for up to five years. The number of seats in parliament has varied as new provinces joined the country and as population distribution between the provinces changed; there are currently 338 House MPs and 105 Senators (when there are no vacancies).

Canada uses a Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Commons becomes Prime Minister, even if the leader is not an elected member of parliament. The leader of the party with the second-most seats in the House becomes the leader of the Official Opposition, and debate (formally called Oral Questions) between the parties is presided over by the speaker of the House. When the party with the most seats has less than half of the total number of seats, it forms a minority government, which can be voted out of power by the other parties. The Canadian Parliament is located at Parliament Hill in the capital city, Ottawa, Ontario.

Parliaments

Diagram[nb 1] Parliament
Election[1][2]
Sessions[3]
Duration
(from return of the writs to dissolution)[4]
Government Opposition
Governing Party[2][5]
 • Prime Minister[2][6]Ministry[2][5][7]
House seat count as of election[2][8]
Senate seat count as of election[9]
Official Opposition Party[10]
 • Leader of the Opposition[10]
Third Parties with official party status
Chambre des Communes 1867.png 1st Canadian Parliament
Elected 1867
5 sessions
Sep 24, 1867

Jul 8, 1872
Conservative Party
 • Sir John A. Macdonald1st Ministry
100 of 180 House seats[nb 2] none  • Liberal Party
 • Anti-Confederation Party
Chambre des Communes 1872.png 2nd Canadian Parliament
Elected 1872
2 sessions
Sep 3, 1872

Jan 2, 1874
Conservative Party (1872–1873)
 • Sir John A. Macdonald1st Ministry
99 of 200 House seats[nb 3]
Liberal Party
 • Alexander Mackenzie
none
Liberal Party (1873–1874)[nb 4]
 • Alexander Mackenzie2nd Ministry
95 of 200 House seats (minority) Conservative Party
 • Sir John A. Macdonald
Chambre des Communes 1874.png 3rd Canadian Parliament
Elected 1874
5 sessions
Feb 21, 1874

Aug 16, 1878
Liberal Party
 • Alexander Mackenzie2nd Ministry
129 of 206 House seats Conservative Party
 • Sir John A. Macdonald
none
Chambre des Communes 1878.png 4th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1878
4 sessions
Nov 21, 1878

May 18, 1882
Conservative Party
 • Sir John A. Macdonald3rd Ministry
134 of 206 House seats Liberal Party
 • Alexander Mackenzie (1878–1880)
 • Edward Blake (1880–1882)
none
75px 5th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1882
4 sessions
Aug 7, 1882

Jan 15, 1887
Conservative Party
 • Sir John A. Macdonald3rd Ministry
133 of 211 House seats Liberal Party
 • Edward Blake
none
75px 6th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1887
4 sessions
Apr 13, 1887

Feb 3, 1891
Conservative Party
 • Sir John A. Macdonald3rd Ministry
122 of 215 House seats Liberal Party
 • Edward Blake (1887)
 • Wilfrid Laurier (1887–1896)
none
75px 7th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1891
6 sessions
Apr 7, 1891

Apr 24, 1896
Conservative Party
 • Sir John A. Macdonald3rd Ministry (1891)
 • Sir John Abbott4th Ministry (1891–1892)
 • Sir John Thompson5th Ministry (1892–1894)
 • Sir Mackenzie Bowell6th Ministry (1894–1896)[nb 5]
117 of 215 House seats Liberal Party
 • Wilfrid Laurier
none
Chambre des Communes 1896.png 8th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1896
5 sessions
Jul 13, 1896

Oct 9, 1900
Liberal Party
 • Sir Wilfrid Laurier8th Ministry
117 of 213 House seats Conservative Party
 • Sir Charles Tupper
none
75px 9th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1900
4 sessions
Dec 5, 1900

Sep 29, 1904
Liberal Party
 • Sir Wilfrid Laurier8th Ministry
128 of 213 House seats Conservative Party
 • Robert Borden
none
Chambre des Communes 1904.png 10th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1904
4 sessions
Dec 15, 1904

Sep 17, 1908
Liberal Party
 • Sir Wilfrid Laurier8th Ministry
137 of 214 House seats Conservative Party
 • Robert Borden
none
75px 11th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1908
3 sessions
Dec 3, 1908

Jul 29, 1911
Liberal Party
 • Sir Wilfrid Laurier8th Ministry
133 of 221 House seats Conservative Party
 • Robert Borden
none
Cdn1911.PNG 12th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1911
7 sessions
Oct 7, 1911

Oct 6, 1917
Conservative Party
 • Sir Robert Borden9th Ministry
132 of 221 House seats Liberal Party
 • Sir Wilfrid Laurier
none
75px 13th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1917
5 sessions
Mar 16, 1918

Oct 4, 1921
Unionist coalition (1918–1920)
 • Sir Robert Borden10th Ministry
153 of 235 House seats (coalition)[nb 6] Laurier Liberals
 • Sir Wilfrid Laurier (1918–1919)
 • Daniel Duncan McKenzie (1919)
 • William Lyon Mackenzie King (1919–1921)
none
National Liberal and Conservative Party (1920–1921)
 • Arthur Meighen11th Ministry
75px 14th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1921
4 sessions
Jan 15, 1922

Sep 5, 1925
Liberal Party
 • William Lyon Mackenzie King12th Ministry
118 of 235 House seats[nb 7] Conservative Party[nb 8]
 • Arthur Meighen
 • Progressive Party
75px 15th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1925
1 session
Dec 7, 1925

Jul 2, 1926
Liberal Party (1925–1926)
 • William Lyon Mackenzie King12th Ministry
100 of 245 House seats (minority)[nb 9] Conservative Party (1925–1926)
 • Arthur Meighen
 • Progressive Party
Conservative Party (1926)
 • Arthur Meighen13th Ministry
115 of 245 House seats (minority)[nb 10] Liberal Party (1926)
 • William Lyon Mackenzie King
75px 16th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1926
4 sessions
Nov 2, 1926

May 30, 1930
Liberal Party
 • William Lyon Mackenzie King14th Ministry
116 of 245 House seats (minority)[nb 11] Conservative Party
 • Hugh Guthrie (1926–1927)
 • Richard Bennett (1927–1930)
none
75px 17th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1930
6 sessions
Aug 18, 1930

Aug 14, 1935
Conservative Party
 • Richard Bennett15th Ministry
134 of 245 House seats Liberal Party
 • William Lyon Mackenzie King
none
Chambre des Communes 1935.png 18th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1935
6 sessions
Nov 9, 1935

Jan 25, 1940
Liberal Party
 • William Lyon Mackenzie King16th Ministry
173 of 245 House seats Conservative Party
 • Richard Bennett (1935–1938)
 • Robert Manion (1938–1940)
 • Social Credit Party
Chambre des Communes 1940.png 19th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1940
6 sessions
Apr 17, 1940

Apr 16, 1945
Liberal Party
 • William Lyon Mackenzie King16th Ministry
179 of 245 House seats Conservative Party[nb 12]
 • Richard Hanson (1940–1942)
 • Gordon Graydon (1943–1945)
none
75px 20th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1945
5 sessions
Aug 9, 1945

Apr 30, 1949
Liberal Party
 • William Lyon Mackenzie King16th Ministry (1945–1948)
 • Louis St. Laurent17th Ministry (1948–1949)
118 of 245 House seats Progressive Conservative Party
 • John Bracken (1945–1948)
 • George Drew (1948–1949)
 • Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
 • Social Credit Party
75px 21st Canadian Parliament
Elected 1949
7 sessions
Aug 29, 1949

Jun 13, 1953
Liberal Party
 • Louis St. Laurent17th Ministry
191 of 262 House seats Progressive Conservative Party
 • George Drew
 • Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Chambre des Communes 1953.png 22nd Canadian Parliament
Elected 1953
5 sessions
Oct 8, 1953

Apr 12, 1957
Liberal Party
 • Louis St. Laurent17th Ministry
169 of 265 House seats Progressive Conservative Party
 • George Drew (1953–1954)
 • William Earl Rowe (1954–1955)
 • George Drew (1955–1956)
 • John Diefenbaker (1956–1957)
 • Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
 • Social Credit Party
Chambre des Communes 1957.png 23rd Canadian Parliament
Elected 1957
1 session
Aug 8, 1957

Feb 1, 1958
Progressive Conservative Party
 • John Diefenbaker18th Ministry
111 of 265 House seats (minority) Liberal Party
 • Louis St. Laurent (1957–1958)
 • Lester B. Pearson (1958)
 • Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
 • Social Credit Party
Chambre des Communes 1958.png 24th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1958
5 sessions
Apr 30, 1958

Apr 19, 1962
Progressive Conservative Party
 • John Diefenbaker18th Ministry
208 of 265 House seats Liberal Party
 • Lester B. Pearson
none
Chambre des Communes 1962.png 25th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1962
1 session
Jul 18, 1962

Feb 6, 1963
Progressive Conservative Party
 • John Diefenbaker18th Ministry
116 of 265 House seats (minority) Liberal Party
 • Lester B. Pearson
 • Social Credit Party
 • New Democratic Party
75px 26th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1963
3 sessions
May 8, 1963

Sep 8, 1965
Liberal Party
 • Lester B. Pearson19th Ministry
128 of 265 House seats (minority)[nb 13] Progressive Conservative Party
 • John Diefenbaker
 • Social Credit Party
 • New Democratic Party
Chambre des Communes 1965.png 27th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1965
2 sessions
Dec 9, 1965

Apr 23, 1968
Liberal Party
 • Lester B. Pearson19th Ministry
131 of 265 House seats (minority)[nb 14] Progressive Conservative Party
 • John Diefenbaker (1965–1967)
 • Michael Starr (1967)
 • Robert Stanfield (1967–1968)
 • New Democratic Party
Chambre des Communes 1968.png 28th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1968
4 sessions
Jul 25, 1968

Sep 1, 1972
Liberal Party
 • Pierre Trudeau20th Ministry
154 of 264 House seats Progressive Conservative Party
 • Robert Stanfield
 • New Democratic Party
 • Ralliement créditiste
Chambre des Communes 1972.png 29th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1972
2 sessions
Nov 20, 1972

May 9, 1974
Liberal Party
 • Pierre Trudeau20th Ministry
109 of 264 House seats (minority) Progressive Conservative Party
 • Robert Stanfield
 • New Democratic Party
 • Social Credit Party
Chambre des Communes 1974.png 30th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1974
4 sessions
Jul 31, 1974

Mar 26, 1979
Liberal Party
 • Pierre Trudeau20th Ministry
141 of 264 House seats
76 of 102 Senate seats
Progressive Conservative Party
 • Robert Stanfield (1974–1976)
 • Joe Clark (1976–1979)
 • New Democratic Party
Chambre des Communes 1979.png 31st Canadian Parliament
Elected 1979
1 session
Jun 11, 1979

Dec 14, 1979
Progressive Conservative Party
 • Joe Clark21st Ministry
136 of 282 House seats (minority)
18 of 104 Senate seats
Liberal Party
 • Pierre Trudeau
 • New Democratic Party
75px 32nd Canadian Parliament
Elected 1980
2 sessions
Mar 10, 1980

Jul 9, 1984
Liberal Party
 • Pierre Trudeau22nd Ministry (1980–1984)
 • John Turner23rd Ministry (1984)
147 of 282 House seats
71 of 104 Senate seats
Progressive Conservative Party
 • Joe Clark (1980–1983)
 • Brian Mulroney (1983–1984)
 • New Democratic Party
Cdn1984.PNG 33rd Canadian Parliament
Elected 1984
2 sessions
Sep 24, 1984

Oct 1, 1988
Progressive Conservative Party
 • Brian Mulroney24th Ministry
211 of 282 House seats
23 of 104 Senate seats
Liberal Party
 • John Turner
 • New Democratic Party
Canada 1988 Federal Election seats.svg 34th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1988
3 sessions
Dec 12, 1988

Sep 8, 1993
Progressive Conservative Party
 • Brian Mulroney24th Ministry (1988–1993)
 • Kim Campbell25th Ministry (1993)
169 of 295 House seats
36 of 104 Senate seats[nb 15]
Liberal Party
 • John Turner (1988–1990)
 • Herb Gray (1990)
 • Jean Chrétien (1990–1993)
 • New Democratic Party
Canada 1993 Federal Election seats.svg 35th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1993
2 sessions
Nov 15, 1993

Apr 27, 1997
Liberal Party
 • Jean Chrétien26th Ministry
177 of 295 House seats
41 of 104 Senate seats
Bloc Québécois
 • Lucien Bouchard (1993–1996)
 • Gilles Duceppe (1996)
 • Michel Gauthier (1996)
 • Gilles Duceppe (1996–1997)
 • Reform Party
75px 36th Canadian Parliament
Elected 1997
2 sessions
Jun 23, 1997

Oct 22, 2000
Liberal Party
 • Jean Chrétien26th Ministry
155 of 301 House seats
51 of 104 Senate seats
Reform Party (1997–2000)
 • Preston Manning
 • Bloc Québécois
 • New Democratic Party
 • Progressive Conservative Party
Canadian Alliance (2000)
 • Deborah Grey (2000)
 • Stockwell Day (2000)
Cdn2000.PNG 37th Canadian Parliament
Elected 2000
3 sessions
Dec 18, 2000

Aug 23, 2004
Liberal Party
 • Jean Chrétien26th Ministry (2000–2004)
 • Paul Martin27th Ministry (2004)
172 of 301 House seats
55 of 105 Senate seats
Canadian Alliance (2000–2004)
 • Stockwell Day (2000)
 • John Reynolds (2001–2002)
 • Stephen Harper (2002–2004)
 • Grant Hill (2004)
 • Bloc Québécois
 • New Democratic Party
 • Progressive Conservative Party
Conservative Party (2004)
 • Grant Hill (2004)
 • Stephen Harper (2004)
 • Bloc Québécois
 • New Democratic Party
Elec2004.PNG 38th Canadian Parliament
Elected 2004
1 session
Oct 19, 2004

Nov 29, 2005
Liberal Party
 • Paul Martin27th Ministry
135 of 308 House seats (minority)[nb 16]
64 of 105 Senate seats
Conservative Party
 • Stephen Harper
 • Bloc Québécois
 • New Democratic Party
Canada 2006 Federal Election seats.svg 39th Canadian Parliament
Elected 2006
2 sessions
Feb 13, 2006

Sep 7, 2008
Conservative Party
 • Stephen Harper28th Ministry
124 of 308 House seats (minority)
23 of 105 Senate seats
Liberal Party
 • Bill Graham (2006)
 • Stéphane Dion (2006–2008)
 • Bloc Québécois
 • New Democratic Party
40th Can House.svg 40th Canadian Parliament
Elected 2008
3 sessions
Nov 4, 2008

Mar 26, 2011
Conservative Party
 • Stephen Harper28th Ministry
143 of 308 House seats (minority)
21 of 105 Senate seats
Liberal Party
 • Stéphane Dion (2008)
 • Michael Ignatieff (2008–2011)
 • Bloc Québécois
 • New Democratic Party
41st Can House.svg 41st Canadian Parliament
Elected 2011
2 sessions
May 23, 2011

Aug 2, 2015
Conservative Party
 • Stephen Harper28th Ministry
166 of 308 House seats
52 of 105 Senate seats
New Democratic Party
 • Jack Layton (2011)
 • Nycole Turmel (2011–2012)
 • Thomas Mulcair (2012–2015)
 • Liberal Party
Parliament Of Canada Seating Plan 2015 (With Speaker Included).svg 42nd Canadian Parliament
Elected 2015
1 session
Dec 3, 2015

Sep 11, 2019
Liberal Party
 • Justin Trudeau29th Ministry
184 of 338 House seats
0 of 105 Senate seats
Conservative Party
 • Rona Ambrose (2015–2017)
 • Andrew Scheer (2017–2020)
 • New Democratic Party
75px 43rd Canadian Parliament
Elected 2019
2 sessions
Dec 5, 2019

Aug 15, 2021
Liberal Party
 • Justin Trudeau29th Ministry
157 of 338 House seats (minority)
0 of 105 Senate seats
Conservative Party
 • Andrew Scheer (2017–2020)
 • Erin O'Toole (2020–2021)
 • Bloc Québécois
 • New Democratic Party
75px 44th Canadian Parliament
Elected 2021
Nov 22, 2021

present
Liberal Party
 • Justin Trudeau29th Ministry
160 of 338 House seats (minority)
0 of 105 Senate seats
Conservative Party
 • Erin O'Toole (2021–2022)
 • Candice Bergen (2022–present)
 • Bloc Québécois
 • New Democratic Party

Notes

  1. The diagrams show the composition of each parliament, colour-coded by party (click on an image to see its key) and arranged as the MPs might sit. The speaker of the house is shown on the left hand side, with the governing party on the speaker's right (the bottom of the diagram) and the opposition on the speaker's left (the top).
  2. In Canada's early parliaments, many members of the Conservative Party, including the Prime Minister, used other labels for themselves, the most common being "Liberal-Conservative". The seat totals here is the sum of all labels Conservative Party labels.
  3. There were two Independent Conservatives in the 2nd Parliament, giving the government an effective majority.
  4. After the 2nd parliament's Pacific Scandal, the Liberals took power between elections.[11]
  5. After the dissolution of the 7th Canadian Parliament, Mackenzie Bowell stepped down and Sir Charles Tupper became Prime Minister on May 1, 1896. Tupper was the only Prime Minister during the 1896 election campaign, which he lost, so he was never Prime Minister of a sitting parliament and is therefore not included in this list.[12]
  6. During the First World War, Borden governed from a united party with a Cabinet of 12 Conservatives, 9 Liberals and Independents, and 1 "Labour" MP. There were, however, still a number of MPs in opposition to him.[13]
  7. In the 14th Parliament, King’s Liberals won exactly enough seats to form a slim majority government, and due to resignations and floor crossing, they shifted back and forth between majority and minority status. However, the government was in little danger of losing a confidence vote because the Progressive party usually allowed free votes among its members, some of whom would always vote with the government.
  8. In the 14th parliament, the new Progressive Party led by Thomas Crerar had the second-most seats, yet Arthur Meighen's Conservatives formed official opposition.
  9. In the 15th parliament, Mackenzie King's Liberals were initially supported by some members of the Progressive Party of Canada until one of King's appointees in the Department of Customs and Excise was revealed to have taken bribes.
  10. In the 15th parliament, Arthur Meighen's Conservatives had the most seats, but Mackenzie King formed the government with the support of the Progressive Party. After the King–Byng Affair, Arthur Meighen's Conservatives took power between elections.
  11. In the 16th parliament, Mackenzie King's Liberals were supported by some members of the Progressive Party of Canada, which did not enforce strict party discipline.
  12. In the 1940 election, Hanson's Conservative's ran under the name "National Government".
  13. In the 26th parliament, Pearson's Liberals were initially supported by Tommy Douglas's New Democratic Party without forming an official coalition.
  14. In the 27th parliament, Pearson's Liberals relied on the small opposition parties in order to remain in power without forming an official coalition.
  15. In 1990, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney used Section 26 of the Constitution, a never-before used clause, to fill the Senate above its regular limit, giving his party 54 of 112 seats.
  16. In the 38th parliament, Martin's Liberals were initially supported by Jack Layton's New Democratic Party without forming an official coalition.

References

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