DossierCanada — who sits and votes in Canada's Parliament
Challenged bills
✋ Challenge a billFederal MPs
Who represents you, how they vote, how often they sit.
The federal Cabinet
Who decides what, since when, and how they vote.
Up to date. These ministers come directly from the official Cabinet page on pm.gc.ca, scraped live — not a hand-maintained list.
S-229 — An Act to amend the National Capital Act (Gatineau Park)
Every bill summarized in plain language. Not clear enough? Ask for an explanation.
S-229
An Act to amend the National Capital Act (Gatineau Park)
ISG
In progress
▾
BILL S-229
An Act to amend the National Capital Act (Gatineau Park)
Last activity : At consideration in committee in the Senate
ISG
In progress
Senate · 1st2025-06-10Senate · 2nd2026-04-15Senate · 3rdCommons · 1stCommons · 2ndCommons · 3rdRoyal assent
Sign-in required — one request per person, no anonymous requests
What it does, in plain language
- Writes the exact boundaries of Gatineau Park into the National Capital Act for the first time, through a new schedule listing lots in Gatineau, Chelsea, La Pêche and Pontiac.
- Makes protecting ecological integrity the first priority of the National Capital Commission in every aspect of managing the park.
- Bans selling or granting rights in public lands inside the park, except for Algonquin Anishinabeg health, social or cultural services or for public infrastructure, with the land reverting to the Commission if that use stops.
- Lets the Governor in Council enlarge the park by order but forbids shrinking it, unless a court finds the Crown does not hold title to the land.
- Requires the Commission to table a Gatineau Park Master Plan in Parliament within 10 years, covering ecological goals, zoning, visitor use and restoration, and to review it at least every 10 years.
- Requires public consultation as well as engagement with the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation and neighbouring municipalities, plus a report on the Commission's website showing their recommendations were considered.
- Allows the designation of enforcement officers with peace officer powers in the park, and permits regulations on park activities and fees that cannot exceed the Commission's costs.
- Directs the Commission to consider hiring Algonquin Anishinabeg businesses and workers for part of the park's maintenance and conservation work.
🤖 AI-generated from the bill’s official text as introduced — may not reflect amendments adopted since.
✋ What does “challenging” mean?
Clicking “Ask for an explanation” is a citizen request for the bill's sponsor to explain it in plain language — and for us to keep an eye on it together.
An account (email) is required — one request per person, no anonymous requests. 🔥 At 1,000 requests on the same bill, a public post is made, in the hope an MP agrees to sponsor a petition to the House.
It works on any bill, including one that has already received royal assent — that is often the one people want to understand.
Votes in the Commons
Every recorded vote — who voted what, and by what margin.
On the “who voted what” detail — the House of Commons publishes each member's name for every recorded (nominal) vote (Yea / Nay / paired). The by-member breakdown above (the "+" button on each row) comes directly from that official source (ourcommons.ca), not an estimate. The party shown next to each name is taken from the current House roster; people who have since left the House appear separately under "Former members".
How to read a vote
Recorded vote
Members vote one by one and each choice is entered in the public record. That is what lets us say exactly who voted what — no interpretation.
Passed is not law
A passed vote clears ONE stage. A bill must pass both chambers and then receive royal assent before it becomes law.
Paired is not absent
In the Commons, two members from opposing sides can agree not to vote: their voices cancel out. It is neither an absence nor an abstention.
DossierCanada updates
What changed on the site, newest first
Hi! My name is
Martin Archambault
I'm 45, and dossiercanada.ca is your first step into democracy!
If we want people to understand politics, it has to be brought down to their level.
When I first tried to take an interest in it, on top of not knowing the jargon, bills came as two lines… and fifty PDFs. Most people would simply walk away.
So I had an idea: use artificial intelligence first to read through all of it, then to put it in plain words. That's how DossierCanada was born.
Alongside the AI recap, I've given people a lexicon that explains the basics of political jargon. Plain-language law exists — think of this as its equivalent for politics!
Parliament glossary
Parliamentary jargon, translated into everyday language.
Account and follows