After Parliament’s initial rounds of emergency lawmaking, we provide a timely evaluation of what our national legislature and leaders got right and what they got wrong. Read a summary of our analysis here. 

As the crisis marches on, we compare how the parliaments of Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Canada were convened to pass emergency legislation, who got to participate, and what has been put in place to keep tabs on government.

With governments struggling to adjust to the realities of physical distancing and restricted travel, we make the case for a hybrid virtual Parliament as the best option to keep our national legislature working throughout the pandemic.

As legislatures across Canada confront the crisis, we review the emergency responses taken in each province and territory (if any), and examine their recent steps to resume some degree of regular operations and parliamentary work.

With other countries experiencing the negative consequences of digital contact tracing, we find that governance of such apps has been almost totally neglected, and argue this is an area where Canada can lead.

Drawing on our latest MP Survey, we examine how MPs experienced the first months of the pandemic, and offer recommendations to support MPs in their new roles and get the work of the Commons back on track quickly.

Watch Dr. Cristina Leston-Bandeira of the University of Leeds and Dr. Paul EJ Thomas of the Samara Centre for Democracy discuss the potential benefits and challenges of virtual parliaments.

Watch the Samara Centre's Paul EJ Thomas, Northwest Territories MLA Julie Green, political science professor JP Lewis, and Queen's Park reporter Sabrina Nanji discuss how provincial and territorial legislatures are adapting to COVID-19.