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Bill C-12

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First Reading

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3rd Session, 40th Parliament,

59 Elizabeth II, 2010

house of commons of canada

BILL C-12

An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)

Preamble

Whereas the composition of the House of Commons must reflect the principle of proportionate representation of the provinces and the democratic representation of the Canadian people;

Whereas the principle of proportionate representation of the provinces must balance the fair and equitable representation of faster-growing provinces and the effective representation of smaller and slower-growing provinces;

Whereas the populations of faster-growing provinces are currently under-represented in the House of Commons and members of the House of Commons for those provinces therefore represent, on average, significantly more populous electoral districts than members for other provinces;

Whereas the national average population of electoral districts at the 40th general election was approximately 108,000 persons;

And whereas the Constitution Act, 1985 (Representation) was enacted by Parliament by virtue of its exclusive authority, in section 44 of the Constitution Act, 1982, to amend the Constitution of Canada in relation to the House of Commons so long as the principle of proportionate representation of the provinces is not disturbed;

30-31 Vict., c. 3 (U.K.); 1982, c. 11 (U.K.)

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Democratic Representation Act.

1986, c. 8, s. 2

2. Subsection 51(1) of the Constitution Act, 1867 is replaced by the following:

Readjustment of representation in Commons

51. (1) The number of members of the House of Commons and the representation of the provinces therein shall, on the completion of each decennial census, be readjusted by such authority, in such manner, and from such time as the Parliament of Canada provides from time to time, subject and according to the following rules:

Rules

1. There shall be assigned to each of the provinces a number of members equal to the number obtained by dividing the population of the province by the electoral divisor and rounding up any fractional remainder to one.

2. If the number of members assigned to a province by the application of rule 1 and section 51A is less than the total number assigned to that province on the coming into force of the Constitution Act, 1985 (Representation), there shall be added to the number of members so assigned such number of members as will result in the province having the same number of members as were assigned on that date.

3. In these rules, “electoral divisor” means

(a) 108,000, in relation to the readjustment following the first decennial census completed after the coming into force of the Democratic Representation Act; and

(b) in relation to a readjustment following the completion of any subsequent decennial census, the number obtained by multiplying the total population of the prov- inces according to that decennial census by the electoral divisor that was applied in the preceding readjustment, dividing the prod- uct so obtained by the total population of the provinces according to the preceding decennial census, and rounding up any fractional remainder to one.

Interpretation

3. A reference to the Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982 is deemed to include a reference to this Act.

Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons

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Explanatory Notes

Constitution Act, 1867

Clause 2: Existing text of subsection 51(1):

51. (1) The number of members of the House of Commons and the representation of the provinces therein shall, on the coming into force of this subsection and thereafter on the completion of each decennial census, be readjusted by such authority, in such manner, and from such time as the Parliament of Canada from time to time provides, subject and according to the following rules:

1. There shall be assigned to each of the provinces a number of members equal to the number obtained by dividing the total population of the provinces by two hundred and seventy-nine and by dividing the population of each province by the quotient so obtained, counting any remainder in excess of 0.50 as one after the said process of division.

2. If the total number of members that would be assigned to a province by the application of rule 1 is less than the total number assigned to that province on the date of coming into force of this subsection, there shall be added to the number of members so assigned such number of members as will result in the province having the same number of members as were assigned on that date.