A parliamentary vote is a decision or ruling by the Speaker on an item of business before the House or one of its comites. The term can also be applied to a recorded division that takes place at a time other than the end of a debate.
In a parliamentary system that uses first past the post voting, the candidate who gets more than 50 per cent of votes is elected. If no candidate reaches this mark, their votes are transferred to their second (and third, fourth and so on) preferences. The candidate with the most second preference votes is then elected.
Most members of the House of Commons – and, in the case of senators, members of the Senate – belong to a political party. The group of MPs belonging to a particular party is collectively known as that party’s parliamentary caucus. However, it is possible for an MP to be an independent of any party affiliation.
The first few rows of seats in the Chamber, on the government side, are occupied by the Prime Minister and Cabinet and, on the opposition side, by the leaders of the recognised opposition parties and their principal spokespersons.
A 30-minute period, Mondays to Thursdays prior to the daily adjournment, during which deputies may raise matters they believe have not been dealt with satisfactorily during the oral question period or, in the case of written questions, have not been responded to within 45 days. The matter is then responded to by a Minister or a parliamentary secretary.