How Parliament Works

To understand how laws and policies are formed in Canada, knowledge of parliamentary politics and government is essential. This course is for anyone with an interest and curiosity about how Parliament works.

We will cover the following topics:

• The foundational constitutional conventions in our parliamentary system, including responsible government, ministerial responsibility, and the confidence convention;
• The various factors that motivate elected politicians include public opinion, regional politics, loyalty to the party leader, and the desire for promotion to cabinet.
• The role and influence of political parties, with particular attention to the effects of party discipline and the mechanisms used to choose and remove party leaders;
• The effects of voter apathy, mis and disinformation, polarization on politics and parliamentary governance;
• The main aspects of parliamentary procedure, including the committee scrutiny process, and,
• The role of the Senate and the implications of the “independent” appointments process.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand the constitutional conventions at the core of parliamentary government
• Explain the “concentration of power” phenomenon
• Build awareness of key aspects of parliamentary procedure
• Understand how political parties effect law and public policy
• Identify weaknesses and points of concern in how our parliamentary democracy functions
• Explain the relationship/intersection between the public service and parliament

Duration

• 3 hours, including brief breaks to maintain engagement and facilitate learning absorption.

Special Offers

Take advantage of these exclusive discounts available when registering for IOG courses:

1. Group Course Discount: Register 3 or more colleagues together for the same course and receive 10% off your total registration fee.  
   Learning together builds team capacity—and helps you save on training costs.
2. Individual Bundle Discount: Register as an individual for 3 or more courses at the same time and save 10% on your total registration fee.
   Advance your professional development while maximizing value.

Lori Turnbull is a Professor in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University.  Her teaching and research focus on parliamentary politics and government, public sector ethics, and democratic health and reform. She is a frequent commentator on CBC, CTV, and Global news networks, is a contributing writer to Policy magazine, and a member of the board at the Parliamentary Centre. From 2015 to 2017, she was seconded to the Privy Council Office, first as a policy adviser in the Machinery of Government Secretariat, then as departmental liaison to the Office of the Minister of Democratic Institutions, and finally as a policy adviser at the Priorities and Planning Secretariat. She is the co-author of Democratizing the Constitution: Reforming Responsible Government, which won the Donner Prize and the Donald Smiley Prize.