Entrance in the House
After a Member’s election certificate has been received by the Clerk of the House and he or she has
sworn the oath of allegiance or made an affirmation and signed the Test Roll, the Member is ready to take
his or her seat in the Chamber. Members, whether they be newly elected or not, are not formally introduced
to the House at the opening of a new Parliament. Customarily, only when Members have been elected to the
House in by-elections do they receive formal introduction to the House. [234]
The introduction of a Member is ceremonial [235]
and a convention not mandated by any statute of Canada or rule of the House of Commons. [236]
The right of a Member to sit and vote in the House is in no way affected if an introduction does not take
place. [237]
Introductions typically are done at the beginning of a sitting or before Question Period. When a Member is
to be introduced, the Speaker begins by advising the House that: “I have the honour to inform the
House that the Clerk of the House has received from the Chief Electoral Officer a certificate of the
election and return of (Member’s name), Member for the electoral riding of (Member’s riding).”
The Member, escorted by two Members of the House (generally the leader of the Member’s party and the
senior party representative from his or her province), is then ushered from the Bar of the House up the
centre aisle of the Chamber to the Table. [238]
At this point, the party leader will state: “Mr. (Madam) Speaker, I have the honour to present to you
(Member’s name), Member for the Electoral District of (Member’s riding), who has taken the oath
(or made an affirmation), signed the Roll and now claims the right to take his (her) seat.” The
Speaker directs: “Let the Member take his (her) seat.” The Member then approaches the Chair and
exchanges greetings with the Speaker. The Member is directed, by the party whip, to his or her seat. [239]
If other Members are to be introduced during the same sitting, the process is repeated. [240]
Customarily, if the Member being introduced is a party leader, he or she is escorted by two leading Members
of the party and the House allows the other party leaders to offer some brief words of welcome. [241]