C-347An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (oath of office)
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on June 21, 2023
- Status
- Defeated at second reading in the House of Commons
What it does
Lets senators and MPs choose the oath of allegiance, the oath of office, or both before taking their seat.
What it does
- Renumbers section 128 of the Constitution Act, 1867 and lets every senator or MP take the oath of office instead of the oath of allegiance, or take both.
- Adds a new oath of office to the Fifth Schedule, saying the person will carry out their duties in the best interest of Canada while upholding its Constitution.
- Keeps the Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982 reference in step with this change by treating it as including this bill.
Who it affects
- Senators
- Members of the House of Commons
Background
The bill amends section 128 of the Constitution Act, 1867 and adds an oath of office to the Fifth Schedule.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Defeated here. Defeated
Committee
Not reached.
Report stage
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Senate
First reading
Not reached.
Second reading
Not reached.
Committee
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Not reached.
Introduced by an MP who is not a minister. These bills compete in a lottery for debate time, and most do not become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
2nd reading of Bill C-347, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (oath of office)
Vote 685,
Failed
113 yeato197 nay · 6 paired
Party breakdown for vote 685 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay38 broke ranks 38 103 15 Conservative Nay17 broke ranks 17 93 8 Bloc Yea 31 0 1 NDP Yea 24 0 0 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Split evenly 1 1 1 Total 113 197
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalRené Arseneault· January 31, 2024
“I am pleased to rise in the House today to introduce my bill, Bill C-347. This bill proposes to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 regarding the oath to the monarch.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeScott Reid· January 31, 2024
“I rise today to address Bill C-347, an act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 regarding the oath of office. The bill would, as its proposer said a moment ago, if enacted, amend section 128 of the Constitution Act, 1867 to allow individuals who have been elected to the House of Commons or appointed to the Senate to select between three different oaths of office.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocMarie-Hélène Gaudreau· January 31, 2024
“I want to apologize to the interpreters. I doubt it is easy to translate those words from Yvon Deschamps, but, in all honesty, that pretty much sums up my thoughts.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPAlexandre Boulerice· January 31, 2024
“This bill is focused on us, so it is not one of my favourite bills. That said, it touches on a crucial issue.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Bill defeated. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.