What is Question Period?

Question Period (Période des questions, also called Oral Questions) is the daily 45-minute session in the federal House of Commons during which Members of Parliament ask questions of Cabinet ministers about government policy and administration. Question Period is held every sitting day from Monday to Thursday at 2:15 p.m. and on Friday at 11:15 a.m., immediately before the daily Routine Proceedings. The Speaker of the House presides over Question Period and recognises MPs to ask questions in turn.

Each MP gets 35 seconds to ask a question, and the responding minister gets 35 seconds to answer. The Speaker calls on MPs according to a list submitted by each party's House Leader, with rotation roughly proportional to party representation. The Leader of the Official Opposition, the Leader of the Bloc Québécois, and the Leader of the New Democratic Party typically lead off with the first questions of the day. The Prime Minister attends Question Period regularly (though not every day) and answers questions across all departments. Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesdays in some sessions follow the British model.

Question Period is the most-watched part of the House of Commons day. It is broadcast live on CPAC (the Cable Public Affairs Channel) and increasingly clipped for social media. Questions and answers are recorded in Hansard (the official verbatim transcript of the House of Commons). Ministers are expected to be present to answer for their portfolios; Parliamentary Secretaries and the Government House Leader can respond on a minister's behalf if the minister is absent. Questions can be on any government action, including policy decisions, departmental performance, public statements, and scandals.

Question Period has evolved significantly since Confederation. Until the 1960s, MPs submitted questions for written response (the practice continues with Order Paper questions). Daily Oral Questions developed gradually and were formalised in the 1968 Standing Orders. The 35-second time limits were introduced in 1986 to control the rapidly expanding session. Question Period has been criticised for its theatrical nature (short questions and short answers favour rhetorical jabs over substantive policy debate) and praised for its accountability function (forcing ministers to face daily public scrutiny in ways the executive of presidential systems do not). The British, Australian, and other Westminster Parliaments have similar Question Periods; Canada's is among the most structured.