The House of Commons is the elected body in the Parliament of Canada. It has 308 members (in 2006), who are elected by the people of Canada. Each MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT (MP) represents one of the 308 districts, called ridings, across Canada. The House of Commons is the most powerful branch of PARLIAMENT. No new law of any kind may be made unless it has been passed by it.

The House of Commons is made up of the SPEAKER, the PRIME MINISTER, and the members of the governing party and opposition parties. Some MPs are selected by the prime minister to become part of a powerful group, called the CABINET. Cabinet ministers may also be appointed from the SENATE. The word "cabinet" originally meant "secret room," and much of the Cabinet's work is still carried on in secret.

Almost all members of Parliament belong to one of the five main political parties: LIBERAL PARTY, BLOC QUEBECOIS, NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY, and CONSERVATIVE PARTY.

The party that is able to control the House, usually because it has the largest number of seats, forms the government. The party that has the second-largest number of seats in the House forms the official opposition, and its leader is called the leader of the opposition.

If no one party has a majority of seats, there is a minority government (also called a coalition government): the party with the greatest number of seats usually forms the government, having come to an agreement with one of the other parties so as to have enough support in the House. A party can stay in power for up to five years, but it may call an election at any time. If the prime minister is defeated in a vote in the House on an important issue, an election is called. The approval of the government's budget is an example of an important issue.

The Speaker decides who may "have the floor," that is, who may speak. The Speaker applies the rules of the House. Members have the right to speak freely. They may not be sued for what they say inside the House. This does not mean that members can say anything that they want. The House does not permit members to use unruly language, since this reflects on the honour of the House. An MP can be punished by the House itself.

All speeches in the House are addressed to the Speaker. Members are referred to by the name of their constituency, for example, "the honourable member for Peace River. "Cabinet ministers are referred to by office, for example, "the honourable minister of communications."

Many of the traditions of the House are kept on as reminders of the past. For example, when the first parliaments were held, the king sent a sergeant-at-arms, carrying a royal mace, to attend. This showed that the House was under the king's protection. Today, a sergeant-at-arms leads the procession when the Speaker enters.

The House meets in the Commons chamber at the west end of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. Every member has an assigned seat and must be in that place to speak and vote. The ruling party sits on the Speaker's right. The opposition parties sit facing the ruling party. The prime minister sits in the 13th place in the front row. The leader of the opposition sits directly opposite.

The main business of the House is the debating and passing of laws. However, a 45-minute time, called Question Period, is set aside each day. During this time, members may ask the prime minister and Cabinet ministers questions about their policies or conduct. A sitting may last longer if there is an emergency. The GOVERNOR GENERAL formally opens and draws to a close each session of Parliament.

The proceedings of the House are published in HANSARD in Canada's two official languages, French and English. They are also televised.