Question Period

Question Period or Oral Questions is a Canadian parliamentary practice similar to the British Prime Minister's Questions in which Members of Parliament submit questions to the government ministers including the Prime Minister for answer. It lasts 45 minutes pursuant to Standing Order 30(5): "Not later than 2:15 o'clock p.m., or 11:15 o'clock a.m., as the case may be, oral questions shall be taken up."

There are also Oral Questions each Thursday when Parliament is in session and the Thursday Statement by the Government House Leader is made after these questions on Thursday.

Question period has a reputation for being quite chatotic, but in actuality it is very tightly-regulated. MPs are only allowed to ask one question each, and must ask their questions in a specific order, predetermined by their party's leader. Questions and responses are all timed as well, in order to prevent excessive speeches.

Each of the provincial legislatures also conducts its own form of question period.