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

Short title: Democratic Representation Act Bill C-12 (40-3) Status: At second reading in the House of Commons Type: House Government Bill Sponsor: Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Democratic Reform) (Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia) Latest stage: First reading

Legislative

summary A legislative

summary is currently being prepared for this bill by the Parliamentary Information and Research Service of the Library of Parliament. Meanwhile, the following executive

summary is available.

On 1 April 2010, the Minister of State (Democratic Reform) introduced Bill C-12,

An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic Representation) (Democratic Representation Act), in the House of Commons and it was given first reading.

Bill C-12 is designed to address a distortion in the manner in which population growth is reflected by growth in the number of elected representatives assigned to each province. The bill seeks to remedy this distortion by enacting a new formula for seat readjustments in the House of Commons. As with the formula presently employed to readjust the number of members seated in the House, Bill C-12 prescribes a formula that readjusts seats after each decennial census, while also apportioning any newly created seats to the province or provinces that experienced population growth from one decennial census to the next.

The effect that the proposed formula would have on a readjustment to the number of members seated in the House of Commons would be to enlarge the increases experienced as a result of growth in the total population of the provinces, as compared to the formula presently used for seat readjustments. House of Commons — First reading: Completed (2010-04-01) House of Commons — Second reading: Not completed

LEGISinfo: https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/40-3/c-12