Question Period

Question Period (QP; ), known officially as Oral Questions, occurs each sitting day in the House of Commons of Canada—similarly in provincial legislatures—in which members of the parliament ask questions of government ministers (including the prime minister). According to the House of Commons Compendium, "The primary purpose of Question Period is to seek information from the Government and to call it to account for its actions." It is similar in form to question time in other parliaments, mainly those following the Westminster system. In the Legislative Assemblies of Ontario and Manitoba (as well as in several other provinces), questions raised are formally referred as Oral Questions. In the Quebec National Assembly, the term is Oral Questions and Answers. History The first oral question occurred during the 1st Canadian Parliament, before rules had been established providing for formal questions. According to the record of debates for November 29, 1867, a question was posed to Chairman of the Printing Committee before Orders of the Day were called.