Parliamentary Debates in Canada (1901–2015)

Abstract

This article analyzes the effect of procedural rule change on the dynamics of parliamentary speeches in the Canadian House of Commons between 1901 and 2015. During this period, several new rules were introduced to reduce the opportunities for private members to speak during the debates so that the government could get its business done within an acceptable amount of time. Our analysis looks at the impact of these rule changes on the content and orientation of all individual speeches made by members of Parliament. The results indicate that parliamentary rules had an important effect on the topic and duration of debates. Our findings also confirm that procedural changes contributed to a heightening of partisan polarization in the Canadian Parliament over time and disproportionately reduced the influence of government backbenchers in the legislative process.

Mr Speaker: The changing nature of parliamentary debates on immigration in Canada

“…In Canada, quantitative analysis of parliamentary debates is not particularly common but is a growing field (see McIntyre et al., 2016; Vallée‐Dubois et al., 2021; Cochrane et al., 2022; Rayment, 2020; Whyte, 2019). Vallée‐Dubois (2021), for example, used broadly descriptive methods to assess the impact of procedural rule changes on the duration of debates, the relative place of backbenchers and partisanship. Cochrane et al.…”