At stake in this election:

• 308 seats in the House of Commons (Chambre des Communes)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Paul MARTIN
• Assembly: Canada has a bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consisting of the Senate (Sénat) with 105 seats and the House of Commons (Chambre des Communes) with 308 seats.

* The Queen is represented by Governor-General Michaelle JEAN.

Description of electoral system:

• The Queen is hereditary .
• The Prime Minister is designated by the governor-general to serve a 5-year term.  The Governor-General usually appoints the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition.
• In the Senate (Sénat) 105 members are appointed by the governor-general*. In the House of Commons (Chambre des Communes) 308 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms.**

* Members are appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. No terms are set, and Senators may serve in office until the age of 75.

** According to the 2003 Representation Order, there are currently 308 electoral districts, and, according to the Constitution, one seat is allocated per electoral district. The duration of the House of Commons cannot exceed five years, except under special circumstances, including real or apprehended war, invasion or insurrection.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Liberal Party of Canada
  • Leader: Paul MARTIN
  • Seats won in this House of Commons election: 103
  • Seats won in last House of Commons election: 135
• Party: Conservative Party of Canada**
  • Leader: Stephen HARPER
  • Seats won in this House of Commons election: 124
  • Seats won in last House of Commons election: 99
• Party: Bloc Québécois
  • Leader: Gilles DUCEPPE
  • Seats won in this House of Commons election: 51
  • Seats won in last House of Commons election: 54
• Party: New Democratic Party
  • Leader: Jack LAYTON
  • Seats won in this House of Commons election: 29
  • Seats won in last House of Commons election: 19
• Party: Independent Candidate
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this House of Commons election: 1
  • Seats won in last House of Commons election: 0
• Party: Other Parties
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this House of Commons election: 0
  • Seats won in last House of Commons election: 0

** This party is a merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party.

Last Parliamentary election:

• Elections for the House of Commons were last held on June 28, 2004.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 32,805,041 (July 2005 est.)
• Registered Voters: 22,812,683 (January 2006 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 16,425,513 (2006)

·         Is Canada a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Canada ratified CEDAW: Yes (10 December 1981)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 64 (House of Commons) (following 2006 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 9 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Canada a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Canada ratified CRPD: Yes (20 December 2012)

·         Population with a disability: 4,920,756 (est.)