Have been asked for a headshot. I suppose it's new headshot time... which means I've written several local photographers to ask if they can do 'parliament nerd but make it slightly sultry' will report back with results. :-P

If you were a VEEP fan and didn't see last night's panel on political satire... you clearly don't watch enough C-SPAN :-P www.c-span.org/program/publ...

Canada is looking for a new Parliamentary Budget Officer! Tell all your friends - esp. those who swear by pocket protectors and their TI-83 graphing calculator :-P pcogic.njoyn.com/cl3/xweb/xwe...

On this day in Canadian Parliamentary History - November 12, 1946 - Peter Milliken (right) is born. He would become the longest serving speaker in the Commons (2001-2011) and the Speaker who would break the most ties (five). He subscribed to Hansard at age 16, much like the nerd on the left (me) :p

The Cenotaph on Canada's Parliament Hill on Remembrance Day / Cénotaphe sur la colline du Parlement le jour du Souvenir Lest we forget / Nous nous souviendrons d’eux Photo: Samuel J. Jarvis / LAC - BAC / PA-025107 (~ 1920-1939).

The Cenotaph on Canada's Parliament Hill on Remembrance Day / Cénotaphe sur la colline du Parlement le jour du Souvenir Lest we forget / Nous nous souviendrons d’eux Photo: Samuel J. Jarvis / LAC - BAC / PA-025107 (~ 1920-1939).

Thinking about that time there was a civil service rifle regiment and even the Queen's Printer folks had to do military drills on Parliament Hill twice a week

Trombone rented so I can play in the work Christmas band! Hope we do all the legislation holiday classics: 🧑‍🎄 Away in a schedule 🎄Good King Omnibus ☃️Go tell it on the amendment 🔔Carol of the Bills ❄️ Veto navidad

Tomorrow marks 50 years since The Dismissal - when Australia's Governor General dismissed the Prime Minister. Parliament nerds around the world - how are we marking this anniversary?

A bill to execute someone notwithstanding certain provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? Once upon a time, one was introduced (and of course did not pass!) Welcome to the interesting world of PMBs that proposed invoking section 33... 1/2

Was a pleasure to read this in draft. A fascinating look at an odd area of legislative practice. Charlie has a great eye for these wonderful topics. I learned a lot from it and have learned a lot from him. Recommended

My new article in Statute Law Review "Going beyond repeal: a preliminary exploration of ‘unenacting’ legislation” explores clauses of legislation deemed “never to have been enacted”. It was presented at the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel conference in Belfast /1

Today's Hansard reading spot. I understand this may not be where most people read Hansard but I'm not most people? :p

The notwithstanding clause in PMBs? My latest in the just-released Constitutional Forum explores the history of non-government bills that proposed to invoke s 33. I hope you enjoy reading this research, which was initially submitted last year: www.constitutionalstudies.ca/2025/11/foru...

Took this last night on my stroll while listening to the excellent (as always) Parliament Matters podcast (highly recommended!) Wishing everyone a wonderful and most parliamentary weekend! :)

Make Westminster great again! (1947)

November 6, 1867 is when Canada's Parliament met for the first time. DYK? Of the many discussions leading up to that First Parliament, First Session, one question that occupied press space was how to refer to Members: M.P. or M. H. C. -- Member of the House of Commons?

And now, returning to Canadian parliamentary programming and parliamentary stats... do some jurisdictions see their parliamentarians change affiliation more than others? Of course! I ran the numbers from LOP data for fun and here you go... 1/3

Enjoying my first bonfire night in Scotland - quite something to hear booms from every direction

Thank you to my colleague for the reading material 😍 #ParliamentaryBookClub

Canadian House of Commons Hansard: November 5, 1982

Took "The Presidency and the Executive" and our unit on the VP started the week Cheney shot someone in the face. Being immature college kids, some would yell "bang!" whenever the Prof would say "face" Prof: The VP must face the Sen- Back row: BANG! Etc etc. Undergrad was classy, what can I say?

Reading about a sandwich toss and thinking about the various pies thrown at politicians in Canada once upon a time....

For the parliamentary law nerds - don't forget that the Supreme Court of Canada is hearing Alford tomorrow (re expansion of privilege by statute) and it will be webcast. Watch party at my house for those in Edinburgh :p www.scc-csc.ca/cases-dossie...

What do you mean it's almost Canadian federal budget day and you haven't ranked previous federal Finance Ministers' new budget shoes from most to least fashionable???

Forget Sudoku, try entering your PIN when the numbers aren't where you're expecting them to be :p

Two different groups stopped me in the park to ask for my signature for election candidates! This is a politics nerd's dream on vacation! Alas it was spoiled by the reality that I don't speak Romanian. But! I learned that 🇷🇴 requires the most candidate support signatures anywhere in the EU (200,000)

Brb gotta update LinkedIn

It's coming up on 5am here in Romania and yes I'm awake and watching the Jays. 🇨🇦⚾ Apologies to everyone else in this hotel for the noise... and the distinctly unparliamentary terminology that has been employed at certain points :p

Today's Hansard reading spot: Romania's Parliamentary Palace!

Just going to throw it out there and crowdsource - I'm having trouble tracking down copyright permissions for images that ran in certain papers and attributed to Canadian Press but are not in their collection. The CP folks have been lovely but it's a dead end for some shots 1/2

When the Ottawa Zombie Walk got to Parliament Hill in 2010...

Happy Halloween! If you work at a legislature, maybe don't have a fake gun as part of your costume as some congressional staffers did in 2003...

My presentation about Hansard and the Courts in the UK is called "Salt 'n Pepper v Hart" Based on audience feedback so far, nobody appreciates "Admit It" to the tune of "Push It!" but there's slightly more appetite for the finale number "Let's talk about lex"

Researching Canadian parliamentary history is fun -- esp. when you learn about the press conferences you might have missed...

Coming up later today (Eastern Time) - come for intelligent colleagues discussing text, context and purpose in statutory interpretation. Stay for my song and dance number about Courts and Hansard. 💃

Make Parliament boring again

Today in Canadian parliamentary history - October 29, 1925: Incumbent Liberal PM King wins 100 seats, Meighen's Conservatives win 116 but King does not resign. Cue the King-Byng affair of 1926! Nerds: What are we doing to mark King-Byng at 100? Conference on vice regals/reserve powers? Cake? Both?

📑 Read @parlcharlie.bsky.social's fascinating new blog post all about remarks that get removed from Hansard! Read all about it here: psaparliaments.org/2025/10/20/u... @ukparliament.parliament.uk @hansardsociety.bsky.social

Fawlty Towers x Hansard

Invited to a Halloween party here in the UK. I'm wearing many plastic eyeballs and wrote 'IT' on each one so I can be "the eyes have it" Follow me for more excellent #ParliamentaryHalloween advice :p

Meant to post yesterday on the anniversary of the UK House of Commons reopening after the war (26 October 1950). That day, PM Attlee told the House that over 45 countries sent gifts that adorned the Chamber. DYK? Commonwealth Parliaments have a long history of gift giving -- 1/2

Today’s Canadian parliamentary anniversary? It’s been a decade since the Reform Act, 2014 came into force on October 26, 2015. This is an editorial the Globe and Mail ran that week, encouraging all parties to submit to the opt-in provisions re caucus management. 1/4

On this day in Canadian parliamentary history - October 25, 1966 - future Cabinet Minister Don Boudria starts as a bus boy in the parliamentary restaurant, making $44 a week. As you might imagine, this is a key plot point in his aptly-titled autobiography "Busboy: From Kitchen to Cabinet" :-p

On this day in Canadian parliamentary history - October 24, 1980 - horror of horrors! Hansard is not published owing to a translators strike! (That day's Hansard would be published later)

On this day in Canadian parliamentary history - October 23, 1867 - Canada's first senators were named. Among them was William Miller, 32 years old. He remains the youngest person ever named to that body. He served 44 years, including some as Senate Speaker. lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlIn...

Just chaired a meeting of the @ciaj-icaj.bsky.social Legislative Drafting committee as we plan our big conference for Ottawa, September 9th - 11th 2026. Hope to see you there! I'm still trying to get my favourite game added to the program: "Bad drafting, bad policy, both or neither?" :p

I WONDER WHAT IT COULD BE?? 🎄🎄🎅🎅😍

Reposting for the morning crowd -- new from me on the @psa-parliaments.bsky.social blog: things deleted from UK Hansard. psaparliaments.org/2025/10/20/u... Happy Hansarding :)

And now, a moment from Hansard to celebrate the Blue Jays making the World Series. House of Commons Debates, 34th Parliament, 3rd Session, Vol 3, p 3241.