Parliaments Since 1867 and Number of Sitting Days
The length of a Parliament
is calculated from the date set for the return of the writs following a general
election to its dissolution by the Governor General by speech or
proclamation. The Constitution Act, 1867, s. 50, and the Constitution Act,
1982, ss. 4(1) and 5, provide for a
maximum five-year lifespan for the House of Commons from the date fixed for the
return of the writs. A Parliament is
divided into sessions. A session begins
with a Speech from the Throne when Parliament is summoned by proclamation of
the Governor General; it ends with a prorogation or dissolution of
Parliament. A session is divided into sittings and adjournments. A sitting is a meeting of the House within a
session. The Standing Orders provide
times and days for the sittings of the House.A sitting is not necessarily synonymous with a “day”. Some days may contain more than one sitting;
some sittings may extend over more than one day.
|
Parliament Session |
Date of General Election [1] |
Date for Return of Writs |
Date of Opening |
Last Day on Which the House Sat |
Date of Prorogation |
Date of Dissolution |
Number of Sitting Days |
Number of Sittings |
1st Parliament |
07-08-1867 to
20-09-1867
|
24-09-1867 [2] |
1st Session |
|
06-11-1867 |
22-05-1868 |
22-05-1868 |
|
83 |
99 |
2nd Session |
|
15-04-1869 |
22-06-1869 |
22-06-1869 |
|
49 |
55 |
3rd Session |
|
15-02-1870 |
12-05-1870 |
12-05-1870 |
|
62 |
62 |
4th Session |
|
15-02-1871 |
14-04-1871 |
14-04-1871 |
|
43 |
43 |
5th Session |
|
11-04-1872 |
14-06-1872 |
14-06-1872 |
08-07-1872 |
46 |
46 |
2nd Parliament |
20-07-1872 to
12-10-1872
|
03-09-1872 [3] |
1st Session |
|
05-03-1873 |
13-08-1973 |
13-08-1973 |
|
59 |
59 |
2nd Session |
|
23-10-1873 |
07-11-1873 |
07-11-1873 |
02-01-1874 |
11 |
11 |
3rd Parliament |
22-01-1874 |
21-02-1874 [4] |
1st Session |
|
26-03-1874 |
26-05-1874 |
26-05-1874 |
|
42 |
42 |
2nd Session |
|
04-02-1875 |
08-04-1875 |
08-04-1875 |
|
48 |
48 |
3rd Session |
|
10-02-1876 |
12-04-1876 |
12-04-1876 |
|
46 |
46 |
4th Session |
|
08-02-1877 |
28-04-1877 |
28-04-1877 |
|
59 |
59 |
5th Session |
|
07-02-1878 |
10-05-1878 |
10-05-1878 |
16-08-1878 |
68 |
68 |
4th Parliament |
17-09-1878 |
21-11-1878 |
1st Session |
|
13-02-1879 |
15-05-1879 |
15-05-1879 |
|
64 |
64 |
2nd Session |
|
12-02-1880 |
07-05-1880 |
07-05-1880 |
|
57 |
57 |
3rd Session |
|
09-12-1880 |
21-03-1881 |
21-03-1881 |
|
65 |
65 |
4th Session |
|
09-02-1882 |
17-05-1882 |
17-05-1882 |
18-05-1882 |
68 |
68 |
5th Parliament |
20-06-1882 |
07-08-1882 |
1st Session |
|
08-02-1883 |
25-05-1883 |
25-05-1883 |
|
73 |
73 |
2nd Session |
|
17-01-1884 |
19-04-1884 |
19-04-1884 |
|
67 |
67 |
3rd Session |
|
29-01-1885 |
20-07-1885 |
20-07-1885 |
|
122 |
119 |
4th Session |
|
25-02-1886 |
02-06-1886 |
02-06-1886 |
15-01-1887 |
65 |
65 |
6th Parliament |
22-02-1887 |
07-04-1887 |
1st Session |
|
13-04-1887 |
23-06-1887 |
23-06-1887 |
|
49 |
49 |
2nd Session |
|
23-02-1888 |
22-05-1888 |
22-05-1888 |
|
61 |
61 |
3rd Session |
|
31-01-1889 |
02-05-1889 |
02-05-1889 |
|
65 |
65 |
4th Session |
|
16-01-1890 |
16-05-1890 |
16-05-1890 |
03-02-1891 |
81 |
81 |
7th Parliament |
05-03-1891 |
25-04-1891 |
1st Session |
|
29-04-1891 |
30-09-1891 |
30-09-1891 |
|
102 |
102 |
2nd Session |
|
25-02-1892 |
09-07-1892 |
09-07-1892 |
|
87 |
87 |
3rd Session |
|
26-01-1893 |
01-04-1893 |
01-04-1893 |
|
47 |
47 |
4th Session |
|
15-03-1894 |
23-07-1894 |
23-07-1894 |
|
87 |
89 |
5th Session |
|
18-04-1895 |
22-07-1895 |
22-07-1895 |
|
65 |
68 |
6th Session |
|
02-01-1896 |
23-04-1896 |
23-04-1896 |
24-04-1896 |
78 |
71 |
8th Parliament |
23-06-1896 |
13-07-1896 |
1st Session |
|
19-08-1896 |
05-10-1896 |
05-10-1896 |
|
34 |
34 |
2nd Session |
|
25-03-1897 |
29-06-1897 |
29-06-1897 |
|
65 |
78 |
3rd Session |
|
03-02-1898 |
13-06-1898 |
13-06-1898 |
|
86 |
98 |
4th Session |
|
16-03-1899 |
11-08-1899 |
11-08-1899 |
|
104 |
102 |
5th Session |
|
01-02-1900 |
18-07-1900 |
18-07-1900 |
09-10-1900 |
115 |
115 |
9th Parliament |
07-11-1900 |
05-12-1900 |
1st Session |
|
06-02-1901 |
23-05-1901 |
23-05-1901 |
|
73 |
73 |
2nd Session |
|
13-02-1902 |
15-05-1902 |
15-05-1902 |
|
63 |
63 |
3rd Session |
|
12-03-1903 |
24-10-1903 |
24-10-1903 |
|
156 |
155 |
4th Session |
|
10-03-1904 |
10-08-1904 |
10-08-1904 |
29-09-1904 |
103 |
103 |
10th Parliament |
03-11-1904 |
15-12-1904 |
1st Session |
|
11-01-1905 |
20-07-1905 |
20-07-1905 |
|
129 |
129 |
2nd Session |
|
08-03-1906 |
13-07-1906 |
13-07-1906 |
|
88 |
88 |
3rd Session |
|
22-11-1906 |
27-04-1907 |
27-04-1907 |
|
95 |
95 |
4th Session |
|
28-11-1907 |
20-07-1908 |
20-07-1908 |
17-09-1908 |
151 |
150 |
11th Parliament |
26-10-1908 |
03-12-1908 |
1st Session |
|
20-01-1909 |
19-05-1909 |
19-05-1909 |
|
84 |
84 |
2nd Session |
|
11-11-1909 |
04-05-1910 |
04-05-1910 |
|
103 |
102 |
3rd Session |
|
17-11-1910 |
28-07-1911 |
|
29-07-1911 |
117 |
117 |
12th Parliament |
21-09-1911 |
07-10-1911 |
1st Session |
|
15-11-1911 |
01-04-1912 |
01-04-1912 |
|
75 |
75 |
2nd Session |
|
21-11-1912 |
06-06-1913 |
06-06-1913 |
|
121 |
111 |
3rd Session |
|
15-01-1914 |
12-06-1914 |
12-06-1914 |
|
103 |
103 |
4th Session |
|
18-08-1914 |
22-08-1914 |
22-08-1914 |
|
5 |
5 |
5th Session |
|
04-02-1915 |
15-04-1915 |
15-04-1915 |
|
51 |
51 |
6th Session |
|
12-01-1916 |
18-05-1916 |
18-05-1916 |
|
89 |
88 |
7th Session |
|
18-01-1917 |
20-09-1917 |
20-09-1917 |
06-10-1917 |
135 |
135 |
13th Parliament |
17-12-1917 |
27-02-1918 |
1st Session |
|
18-03-1918 |
23-05-1918 |
23-05-1918 |
|
47 |
47 |
2nd Session |
|
20-02-1919 |
07-07-1919 |
07-07-1919 |
|
93 |
93 |
3rd Session |
|
01-09-1919 |
10-11-1919 |
10-11-1919 |
|
50 |
50 |
4th Session |
|
26-02-1920 |
01-07-1920 |
01-07-1920 |
|
86 |
86 |
5th Session |
|
14-02-1921 |
04-06-1921 |
04-06-1921 |
04-10-1921 |
80 |
79 |
14th Parliament |
06-12-1921 |
14-01-1922 |
1st Session |
|
08-03-1922 |
27-06-1922 |
27-06-1922 |
|
75 |
75 |
2nd Session |
|
31-01-1923 |
30-06-1923 |
30-06-1923 |
|
98 |
98 |
3rd Session |
|
28-02-1924 |
19-07-1924 |
19-07-1924 |
|
95 |
95 |
4th Session |
|
05-02-1925 |
27-06-1925 |
27-06-1925 |
05-09-1925 |
98 |
98 |
15th Parliament |
29-10-1925 |
07-12-1925 |
1st Session |
|
07-01-1926 |
01-07-1926 |
|
02-07-1926 |
111 |
111 |
16th Parliament |
14-09-1926 |
02-11-1926 |
1st Session |
|
09-12-1926 |
14-04-1927 |
14-04-1927 |
|
54 |
54 |
2nd Session |
|
26-01-1928 |
11-06-1928 |
11-06-1928 |
|
93 |
93 |
3rd Session |
|
07-02-1929 |
14-06-1929 |
14-06-1929 |
|
83 |
83 |
4th Session |
|
20-02-1930 |
30-05-1930 |
|
30-05-1930 |
62 |
62 |
17th Parliament |
28-07-1930 |
18-08-1930 |
1st Session |
|
08-09-1930 |
22-09-1930 |
22-09-1930 |
|
12 |
13 |
2nd Session |
|
12-03-1931 |
03-08-1931 |
03-08-1931 |
|
96 |
96 |
3rd Session |
|
04-02-1932 |
26-05-1932 |
26-05-1932 |
|
78 |
78 |
4th Session |
|
06-10-1932 |
27-05-1933 |
27-05-1933 |
|
119 |
119 |
5th Session |
|
25-01-1934 |
03-07-1934 |
03-07-1934 |
|
105 |
105 |
6th Session |
|
17-01-1935 |
05-07-1935 |
05-07-1935 |
14-08-1935 |
97 |
97 |
18th Parliament |
14-10-1935 |
09-11-1935 |
1st Session |
|
06-02-1936 |
23-06-1936 |
23-06-1936 |
|
91 |
92 |
2nd Session |
|
14-01-1937 |
10-04-1937 |
10-04-1937 |
|
62 |
62 |
3rd Session |
|
27-01-1938 |
01-07-1938 |
01-07-1938 |
|
102 |
102 |
4th Session |
|
12-01-1939 |
03-06-1939 |
03-06-1939 |
|
103 |
103 |
5th Session |
|
07-09-1939 |
13-09-1939 |
13-09-1939 |
|
6 |
6 |
6th Session |
|
25-01-1940 |
25-04-1940 |
|
25-04-1940 |
1 |
1 |
19th Parliament |
26-03-1940 |
17-04-1940 |
1st Session |
|
16-05-1940 |
05-11-1940 |
05-11-1940 |
|
61 |
61 |
2nd Session |
|
07-11-1940 |
21-01-1942 |
21-01-1942 |
|
105 |
105 |
3rd Session |
|
22-01-1942 |
27-01-1943 |
27-01-1943 |
|
124 |
124 |
4th Session |
|
28-01-1943 |
26-01-1944 |
26-01-1944 |
|
120 |
120 |
5th Session |
|
27-01-1944 |
31-01-1945 |
31-01-1945 |
|
136 |
136 |
6th Session |
|
19-03-1945 |
16-04-1945 |
|
16-04-1945 |
19 |
19 |
20th Parliament |
11-06-1945 |
09-08-1945 |
1st Session |
|
06-09-1945 |
18-12-1945 |
18-12-1945 |
|
76 |
76 |
2nd Session |
|
14-03-1946 |
31-08-1946 |
31-08-1946 |
|
118 |
118 |
3rd Session |
|
30-01-1947 |
17-07-1947 |
17-07-1947 |
|
115 |
115 |
4th Session |
|
05-12-1947 |
30-06-1948 |
30-06-1948 |
|
119 |
119 |
5th Session |
|
26-01-1949 |
30-04-1949 |
|
30-04-1949 |
59 |
59 |
21st Parliament |
27-06-1949 |
25-08-1949 |
1st Session |
|
15-09-1949 |
10-12-1949 |
10-12-1949 |
|
64 |
64 |
2nd Session |
|
16-02-1950 |
30-06-1950 |
30-06-1950 |
|
90 |
90 |
3rd Session |
|
29-08-1950 |
29-01-1951 |
29-01-1951 |
|
17 |
17 |
4th Session |
|
30-01-1951 |
09-10-1951 |
09-10-1951 |
|
105 |
105 |
5th Session |
|
09-10-1951 |
29-12-1951 |
29-12-1951 |
|
56 |
56 |
6th Session |
|
28-02-1952 |
20-11-1952 |
20-11-1952 |
|
87 |
87 |
7th Session |
|
20-11-1952 |
14-05-1953 |
14-05-1953 |
13-06-1953 |
108 |
108 |
22nd Parliament |
10-08-1953 |
08-10-1953 |
1st Session |
|
12-11-1953 |
26-06-1954 |
26-06-1954 |
|
139 |
139 |
2nd Session |
|
07-01-1955 |
28-07-1955 |
28-07-1955 |
|
140 |
141 |
3rd Session |
|
10-01-1956 |
14-08-1956 |
14-08-1956 |
|
152 |
152 |
4th Session |
|
26-11-1956 |
08-01-1957 |
08-01-1957 |
|
5 |
5 |
5th Session |
|
08-01-1957 |
12-04-1957 |
|
12-04-1957 |
71 |
71 |
23rd Parliament |
10-06-1957 |
08-08-1957 |
1st Session |
|
14-10-1957 |
01-02-1958 |
|
01-02-1958 |
78 |
78 |
24th Parliament |
31-03-1958 |
30-04-1958 |
1st Session |
|
12-05-1958 |
06-09-1958 |
06-09-1958 |
|
93 |
93 |
2nd Session |
|
15-01-1959 |
18-07-1959 |
18-07-1959 |
|
127 |
127 |
3rd Session |
|
14-01-1960 |
10-08-1960 |
10-08-1960 |
|
146 |
146 |
4th Session |
|
17-11-1960 |
28-09-1961 |
28-09-1961 |
|
174 |
174 |
5th Session |
|
18-01-1962 |
18-04-1962 |
|
19-04-1962 |
65 |
65 |
25th Parliament |
18-06-1962 |
18-07-1962 |
1st Session |
|
27-09-1962 |
05-02-1963 |
|
06-02-1963 |
72 |
72 |
26th Parliament |
08-04-1963 |
08-05-1963 |
1st Session |
|
16-05-1963 |
21-12-1963 |
21-12-1963 |
|
117 |
117 |
2nd Session |
|
18-02-1964 |
02-04-1965 |
03-04-1965 |
|
248 |
248 |
3rd Session |
|
05-04-1965 |
30-06-1965 |
|
08-09-1965 |
53 |
53 |
27th Parliament |
08-11-1965 |
09-12-1965 |
1st Session |
|
18-01-1966 |
08-05-1967 |
08-05-1967 |
|
250 |
250 |
2nd Session |
|
08-05-1967 |
23-04-1968 |
|
23-04-1968 |
155 |
155 |
28th Parliament |
25-06-1968 |
25-07-1968 |
1st Session |
|
12-09-1968 |
22-10-1969 |
22-10-1969 |
|
198 |
198 |
2nd Session |
|
23-10-1969 |
07-10-1970 |
07-10-1970 |
|
155 |
155 |
3rd Session |
|
08-10-1970 |
16-02-1972 |
16-02-1972 |
|
244 |
244 |
4th Session |
|
17-02-1972 |
01-09-1972 |
|
01-09-1972 |
91 |
91 |
29th Parliament |
30-10-1972 |
20-11-1972 |
1st Session |
|
04-01-1973 |
26-02-1974 |
26-02-1974 |
|
206 |
207 |
2nd Session |
|
27-02-1974 |
08-05-1974 |
|
09-05-1974 |
50 |
50 |
30th Parliament |
08-07-1974 |
31-07-1974 |
1st Session |
|
30-09-1974 |
12-10-1976 |
12-10-1976 |
|
343 |
343 |
2nd Session |
|
12-10-1976 |
17-10-1977 |
17-10-1977 |
|
175 |
175 |
3rd Session |
|
18-10-1977 |
10-10-1978 |
10-10-1978 |
|
151 |
151 |
4th Session |
|
11-10-1978 |
26-03-1979 |
|
26-03-1979 |
98 |
98 |
31st Parliament |
22-05-1979 |
11-06-1979 |
1st Session |
|
09-10-1979 |
14-12-1979 |
|
14-12-1979 |
49 |
49 |
32nd Parliament |
18-02-1980 |
10-03-1980 |
1st Session |
|
14-04-1980 |
30-11-1983 |
30-11-1983 |
|
609 |
591 |
2nd Session |
|
07-12-1983 |
29-06-1984 |
|
09-07-1984 |
116 |
116 |
33rd Parliament |
04-09-1984 |
24-09-1984 |
1st Session |
|
05-11-1984 |
24-07-1986 |
28-08-1986 |
|
308 |
308 |
2nd Session |
|
30-09-1986 |
30-09-1988 |
|
01-10-1988 |
390 |
389 |
34th Parliament |
21-11-1988 |
12-12-1988 |
1st Session |
|
12-12-1988 |
30-12-1988 |
28-02-1989 |
|
11 |
11 |
2nd Session |
|
03-04-1989 |
08-05-1991 |
12-05-1991 |
|
307 |
305 |
3rd Session |
|
13-05-1991 |
23-06-1993 |
|
08-09-1993 |
268 |
268 |
35th Parliament |
25-10-1993 |
15-11-1993 |
1st Session |
|
17-01-1994 |
02-02-1996 |
02-02-1996 |
|
280 |
280 |
2nd Session |
|
27-02-1996 |
25-04-1997 |
|
27-04-1997 |
164 |
164 |
36th Parliament |
02-06-1997 |
23-06-1997 |
1st Session |
|
22-09-1997 |
11-06-1999 |
18-09-1999 |
|
239 |
239 |
2nd Session |
|
12-10-1999 |
20-10-2000 |
|
22-10-2000 |
135 |
133 |
37th Parliament |
27-11-2000 |
18-12-2000 |
1st Session |
|
29-01-2001 |
21-06-2002 |
16-09-2002 |
|
211 |
211 |
2nd Session |
|
30-09-2002 |
07-11-2003 |
12-11-2003 |
|
153 |
153 |
3rd Session |
|
02-02-2004 |
14-05-2004 |
|
23-05-2004 |
55 |
55 |
38th Parliament |
28-06-2004 |
19-07-2004 |
1st Session |
|
04-10-2004 |
28-11-2005 |
|
29-11-2005 |
159 |
159 |