The legislative branch proposes, reviews and passes bills, which then become laws. “Legislative” means “related to laws.”

At the federal level, the legislative branch includes: 

• Monarch: King Charles III is the head of state in Canada, represented by the Governor General. The Governor General represents the monarch in Canada and has parliamentary and ceremonial responsibilities.
  
  
• House of Commons: Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected by voters to represent different areas of the country called constituencies.
  
• House Committees: Within the House of Commons, there are a number of committees made up of MPs focused on specific topics. When a bill is going through the process to become law, it will be studied by a House Committee.
  
  
• Senate: Senators are appointed by the Governor General, on the advice of the Prime Minister, to represent Canada’s provinces and territories.
  
• Senate Committees: Within the Senate, there are also committees made up of Senators focused on specific topics. When a bill is going through the process to become law, it will be studied by a Senate Committee. For example, each year, the federal budget is studied by the Standing Committee on Finance.
  
  
• Legislative staff: MPs and Senators hire legislative staff to work with them at their Parliament Hill office, giving advice on laws and regulations under development.
  
  
• Constituency staff: MPs also hire constituency staff, who work in their local office in the riding that they represent. These constituency staff often respond to questions from members of the community. They usually know a lot about the resources available within the community.
  

To find your federal riding and the MP who represents you, use this tool on the House of Commons website and enter your postal code.

A Parliamentary Assistant or Parliamentary Secretary is an elected official who is appointed to assist a Cabinet Minister with their portfolio, particularly with parliamentary and legislative matters.

The Canadian House of Commons