Order Paper and Notice Paper

The Order Paper and Notice Paper is a list of what may happen during a Senate sitting. A Senate sitting is a meeting of senators in the Chamber. The Order Paper and Notice Paper lists everything the senators can do during that meeting. It also lists written questions to the government.

Here are the items you’ll find on the Order Paper and Notice Paper:

Senators’ Statements: These are three-minute speeches senators make at the beginning of a sitting. Senators often choose to speak about people or events from the region they represent. Senators also use these speeches to talk about issues they think people should pay attention to.

Routine Proceedings: Routine Proceedings give the government and senators a chance to share new items about issues they want to study. During Routine Proceedings, the government and senators can also share documents for information purposes.

Question period: Question period happens for 30 minutes every day the Senate meets. During question period, senators can ask certain other senators about things that matter to Canadians. 

Delayed Answers: When a senator asks a question during question period and it cannot be answered right away, the senator can get the answer in writing at a future sitting. A senator can also write a question for the government. Answers to written questions are shared during Delayed Answers.

Orders of the Day: The Orders of the Day is a list of things senators may debate, decide and discuss during a Senate sitting.

Government Business: During Government Business, senators deal with items started by the government, such as bills, reports from committees, and other items. 

Other Business: After senators have finished with Government Business, they tackle other business. These items include bills proposed by senators (called Senate public bills) or by members of the House of Commons (called Commons’ public bills). Committee reports and other items that were not started by the government are also part of other business.

Notice Paper: This is a list of items that senators might deal with in the future. Seeing this list gives senators time to prepare for debate.

Debates of the Senate

The Debates of the Senate, also called Hansard, are the written, public record of what senators said and did in the Senate Chamber. It is published after each sitting. The Debates of the Senate are one way the Senate ensures people in Canada know what happens in Parliament.

The Debates of the Senate are not a word-for-word copy of what was said. A person called an editor ensures the Debates of the Senate are easier to read. Senators can speak in English or French and their words are translated. The Debates of the Senate show what was said in English and French.

You can find the Debates of the Senate online. By clicking on the link to each day’s meeting, you can find out how senators voted, what they said about a proposed law and what questions they asked.

Journals of the Senate

The Journals of the Senate are the official written record of the work the senators did during a sitting. They include decisions the Senate made and vote results. The Journals are available after each sitting.

The easiest way to read the Journals is alongside the Order Paper and Notice Paper for that day. With both documents open side by side, you can see what was on the Senate’s agenda and what senators did for each item.

Rules of the Senate

The Rules of the Senate explain how the Senate and its committees work. The Rules are divided into chapters that cover different topics. There is also an appendix that defines some words used in Parliament.

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Interested in learning more about how the Senate works? There are more resources to explore on The Senate Explained page or the Committee Documents Explained page.