So we have found a parliamentarian to introduce a pro-life law. Regardless of whether it is a cabinet minister, opposition party leader or private member, it all goes through the same process (though at different speeds).

Does it matter when a bill is introduced?

The sooner a bill is introduced in Parliament, the better. The parliamentary process to pass a bill through all stages in both the House of Commons and the Senate is cumbersome and time-consuming.


Parliamentary timelines

The average parliament is about four years however Parliament does not sit for all 365 days of the year. In fact, they usually only sit for about 26-30 weeks during the year, Monday through Friday. That means for each calendar year, Parliament will only sit for about 520-600 days in a four year-cycle.

Most parliaments see literally hundreds of bills introduced. This leaves only a few days per bill, on average. Most government bills will see multiple days of debate, whereas private members’ bills will see only a few hours each.
Therefore it is critical for pro-life legislation to be introduced quickly and to ensure that it has enough support to make it through all the stages of the parliamentary process.

Oh, and if a bill is defeated in a specific parliament, the same or very similar bill cannot be re-introduced and would be ruled out of order by the Speaker of either the House of Commons or Senate.

So what can pro-lifers do?

First and foremost, pro-lifers must ensure that pro-life candidates win nominations and elections. The more pro-life politicians, the better the chances are of a pro-life bill being introduced and passed.

The second thing pro-lifers can do is to put pressure on their Members of Parliament and Senators, especially if they are not pro-life, to vote for pro-life legislation.

We can help you do both as we provide guides to speaking with politicians on pro-life bills. Join RightNow today to help pass pro-life laws!