Parliament Prorogued to September 23, 2020

Summary#

This is the Proclamation Proroguing Parliament to September 23, 2020. It formally suspends sittings of Parliament so that the Senate and the House of Commons do not meet until September 23, 2020. The proclamation was registered in the Canada Gazette on August 19, 2020 and signed at Government House on August 18, 2020.

What it does#

• Announces that Parliament is prorogued — the Senate and the House of Commons will not sit — until September 23, 2020.
• Is issued in the name of the Crown and signed by the Governor General, Julie Payette.
• Is entered on the public record as SI/2020-58 (Canada Gazette, Part II).

Who's affected#

• Members of Parliament and Senators, who will not meet in the House or the Senate while Parliament is prorogued.
• Parliamentary staff and anyone who works directly with committees or sittings.
• People or groups waiting for parliamentary action (for example, debate, votes on bills, committee meetings or parliamentary questions) because those activities will be paused.
• If it is unclear who else might be affected by any downstream legal or administrative consequences, the proclamation does not spell those out.

Why it matters#

• Proroguing Parliament pauses formal parliamentary business. That means public debate, new legislation, committee reviews and question periods are put on hold until Parliament reconvenes.
• For citizens, businesses, and organizations tracking a bill, a committee review, or a question for ministers, this creates a predictable pause in those processes until September 23, 2020.