How Ottawa Operates:

Hoteliers do not necessarily possess the requisite knowledge to undertake a successful and results driven Grassroots Campaign. Accordingly the campaign includes this primer on legislative fundamentals including the structure of the Canadian Government, how a Bill becomes law, the roles and responsibilities of MPs, Ministers and Committees and lobbying do’s and don’ts.

One hears about professional lobbyists who attempt to influence legislations and policy through various means. In Ottawa there are nearly 6, 000 registered lobbyists who are all governed under the Lobbyist Registrations Act and the Accountability Act.

Grassroots Lobbying is when everyday citizens contact their own MPs to try to influence legislations and policy. Grassroots lobbying is very effective because MPs are hearing directly from their constituents who will be voting the next time they are up for re-election.

It used to be that a letter requesting a meeting with an MP was best. However for security reasons all letters to MPs are now prescreened before being delivered to offices resulting in delays. It is now advisable to make a phone call or send an email. Be sure to provide your contact information including your street address so they can respond to you and know that you are a constituent. State your position clearly and politely. Keep your message short; briefly state why you support or oppose the issue.

The Government of Canada is composed of three branches – the House of Commons (308 elected Members) the Senate (102 Members appointed by the Prime Minister) and the Queen as Head of State (represented in Canada by the Governor General).

A piece of legislation may be introduced in either the House of Commons or the Senate. In each case it goes through three “ Readings” before going to a final vote. Legislation is often referred to Committees for “Hearings”. All Bills emanating from the House of Commons are identified as Bill C and the Senate Bill S. In all cases in order for a Bill to become law it requires the approval of all three branches namely the House of Commons, the Senate and Royal Assent by the Governor General.

The Prime Minister is the head of Government in Canada and is usually the leader of the political party that wins the most seats in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet which has geographical representation across Canada as well as the political staff of the Prime Minister’s Office. He is also the leader of the Privy Council Office which serves as his department to coordinate government affairs. Cabinet Ministers typically have responsibility for government departments. Ministers of State, while having Cabinet rank, typically report to a Minister such as the Minister of State, Small Business and Tourism reports to the Minister of Industry.

Each Minister has a Parliamentary Secretary with non-cabinet status. He responds to questions in the House of Commons when the Minister is absent. There are several Standing Committees including Finance, Industry and Foreign Affairs. Each is chaired by an MP. Committees play an important role in the vetting and drafting of legislation. Committee representation is dependant upon the ratio of the number of seats a party holds in Parliament.