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Our National Parliament - The Inside Story

1990 31 min
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Almost all Canadians recognize the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. But how many understand just what goes on there and how Parliament touches our lives? In Our National Parliament - The Inside Story a young parliamentary page takes us behind the scenes, acting as our guide to the inner workings of the legislative branch of government. This video shows us day-to-day life on Parliament Hill: the roles of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and opposition parties; the nuts and bolts of how a bill moves from conception, through committee and the Houses of Parliament on the way to becoming law; and the …

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Our National Parliament - The Inside Story

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Almost all Canadians recognize the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. But how many understand just what goes on there and how Parliament touches our lives? In Our National Parliament - The Inside Story a young parliamentary page takes us behind the scenes, acting as our guide to the inner workings of the legislative branch of government. This video shows us day-to-day life on Parliament Hill: the roles of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and opposition parties; the nuts and bolts of how a bill moves from conception, through committee and the Houses of Parliament on the way to becoming law; and the daily life of a back-bench MP.

  • director
    Jane Churchill
  • script
    Martie Hooker
    Clare Johnstone
    Jill Golick
    Jane Churchill
  • camera
    John Sleeman
    André Paul Therrien
  • animation camera
    André Paul Therrien
    Jacques Avoine
    Raymond Dumas
    Pierre Landry
    Lynda Pelley
  • editing
    Tina Viljoen
    Michèle Hozer
  • sound editing
    Wojtek Klis
  • narrator
    Sue Smith
  • music
    Bowser and Blue
  • cast
    Andrew Nichols

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Education

Ages 11 to 17
School subjects
Pre-teach: parliamentary page, constitutional monarchy, backbencher, constituent, lobby group. Assign these topics to small groups for research and presentation: 1. What are the roles of the official opposition, the executive branch, the privy council, the legislative branch and the judicial branch of government? 2. Define the roles of a shadow cabinet, a select committee and a standing committee. 3. Discuss the roles and obligations of the Prime Minister. 4. What are the duties of an MP? 5. Clarify the function of Question Period. 6. Trace the process for a bill to become an Act of Parliament (law). 
Our National Parliament - The Inside Story
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