Canada’s parliament will sit for the first time since last month’s election on Dec. 5, when the House of Commons will elect a new speaker and hear the Throne Speech, the prime minister’s office said on Tuesday.
The Throne Speech is delivered by Governor General Julie Payette - the Queen’s representative in Canada - on behalf of the prime minister and outlines the government’s priorities for the legislature. The speech is eventually followed by a confidence vote.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government was re-elected on Oct. 19 with a reduced plurality in the Commons with 157 seats to 121 for Andrew Scheer's Conservatives, and 32 for the separatist Bloc Quebecois. A total of 170 seats were needed for a majority.
