Constitution Act, 1974

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Constitution Act, 1974 (British North America Act, 1974) (1974)
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Changed the rules for the redistribution of seats in the Canadian House of Commons so that Quebec would have 75 seats while other provinces seat allocation would be determined based on the size of their population in comparison to Quebec's. Provinces continued to be guaranteed to have at least as many MPs as Senators.

73467Constitution Act, 1974 (British North America Act, 1974)1974

Contents

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Constitution Act, 1974

2. Amendment as to legislation respecting representation in Commons.
3. Short title and citation.

Notes

The Act

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23 Elizabeth II, c. 13, Part I (Canada)


20th December, 1974


Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:


...

CONSTITUTION ACT, 1867


Amendment as to legislation respecting representation in Commons. 		2. Subsection 51(1) of the Constitution Act, 1867 as enacted by the British North America Act, 1952, is repealed and the following substituted therefor:
51.(1) The number of members of the House of Commons and the representation of the provinces therein shall upon the coming into force of this subsection and thereafter on the completion of each decennial census be readjusted by such authority, in such manner, and from such time as the Parliament of Canada from time to time provides, subject according to the following Rules:
1. There shall be assigned to Quebec seventy-five members in the readjustment following the completion of the decennial census taken in the year 1971, and thereafter four additional members in each subsequent readjustment.
2. Subject to Rules 5(2) and (3), there shall be assigned to a large province a number of members equal to the number obtained by dividing the population of the large province by the electoral quotient of Quebec.
3. Subject to Rules 5(2) and (3), there shall be assigned to a small province a number of members equal to the number obtained by dividing
(a) the sum of the populations, determined according to the results of the penultimate decennial census, of the provinces (other than Quebec) having populations of less than one and a half million, determined according to the results of that census, by the sum of the number of members assigned to those provinces in the adjustment following the completion of that census; and
(b) the population of the small province by the quotient obtained under paragraph (a).
4. Subject to Rules 5(1)(a), (2) and (3), there shall be assigned to an intermediate province a number of members equal to the number obtained
(a) by dividing the sum of the populations of the provinces (other than Quebec) having populations of less than one and a half million by the sum of the number of members assigned to those provinces under any of Rules 3, 5(1)(b), (2) and (3);
(b) by dividing the population of the intermediate province by the quotient obtained under paragraph (a); and
(c) by adding to the number of members assigned to the intermediate province in the readjustment following the completion of the penultimate decennial census one-half of the difference resulting from the subtraction of that number from the quotient obtained under paragraph (b).
5.(1) On any readjustment,
(a) if no province (other than Quebec) has a population of less than one and a half million, Rule 4 shall not be applied and, subject to Rules 5(2) and (3), there shall be assigned to an intermediate province a number of members equal to the number obtained by dividing
(i) the sum of the populations, determined according to the results of the penultimate decennial census, of the provinces (other than Quebec) having populations of not less than one and a half million and not more than two and a half million, determined according to the results of that census, by the sum of the numbers of members assigned to those provinces in the readjustment following the completion of that census, and
(ii) the population of the intermediate province by the quotient obtained under subparagraph (i);
(b) if a province (other than Quebec) having a population of
(i) less than one and a half million, or
(ii) not less than one and a half million and not more than two and a half million
does not have a population greater than its population determined according to the results of the penultimate decennial census, it shall, subject to Rules 5(2) and (3), be assigned the number of members assigned to it in the readjustment following the completion of that census.
(2) On any readjustment,
(a) if, under any of Rules 2 to 5(1), the number of members to be assigned to a province (in this paragraph referred to as "the first province") is smaller than the number of members to be assigned to any other province not having a population greater than that of the first province, those Rules shall not be applied to the first province and it shall be assigned a number of members equal to the largest number of members to be assigned to any other province not having a population greater than that of the first province;
(b) if, under any of Rules 2 to 5 (1)(a), the number of members to assigned to a province is smaller than the number members assigned to it in the readjustment following the completion of the penultimate decennial census, those Rules shall not be applied to it and it shall be assigned the latter number of members;
(c) if both paragraphs (a) and (b) apply to a province, it shall be assigned a number of members equal to the greater of the numbers produced under those paragraphs.
(3) On any readjustment,
(a) if the electoral quotient of a province (in this paragraph referred to as "the first province") obtained by dividing its population by the number of members to be assigned to it under any of Rules 2 to 5(2) is greater than the electoral quotient of Quebec, those Rules shall not be applied to the first province and it shall be assigned a number of members equal to the number obtained by dividing its population by the electoral quotient of Quebec;
(b) if, as a result of the application of Rule 6(2)( a), the number of members assigned to a province under paragraph (a) equals the number of members to be assigned to it under any of Rules 2 to 5(2), it shall be assigned that number of members and paragraph (a) shall cease to apply to that province.
6.(1) In these Rules,
"electoral quotient" means, in respect of a province, the quotient obtained by dividing its population, determined according to the results of the then most recent decennial census, by the number of members to be assigned to it under any of Rules 1 to 5(3) in the readjustment following the completion of that census;
"intermediate province" means a province (other than Quebec) having a population greater than its population determined according to the results of the penultimate decennial census but not more than two and a half million and not less than one and a half million;
"large province" means a province (other than Quebec) having a population greater than two and a half million;
"penultimate decennial census" means the decennial census that preceded the then most recent decennial census;
"population" means, except where otherwise specified, the population determined according to the results of the then most recent decennial census;
"small province" means a province (other than Quebec) having a population greater than its population determined according to the results of the penultimate decennial census and less than one and half million.
(2) For the purposes of these Rules,
(a) if any fraction less than one remains upon completion of the final calculation that produces the number of members to be assigned to a province, that number of members shall equal the number so produced disregarding the fraction;
(b) if more than one readjustment follows the completion of a decennial census, the most recent of those readjustments shall, upon taking effect, be deemed to be the only readjustment following the completion of that census;
(c) a readjustment shall not take effect until the termination of the then existing Parliament."
Short title and citation. 		3. This part may be cited as the Constitution Act, 1974.[1]

Notes

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  1. ↑ As enacted by the Constitution Act, 1982. The section, as originally enacted, reads as follows:
    3.This part may be cited as the British North America Act (No. 2), 1974, and the British North America Acts, 1867 to 1974 and this Part may be cited together as the British North America Acts, 1867 to 1974-75.


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