At stake in this election:

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

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean CHRETIEN
• Assembly: Canada has a bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consisting of the Senate (Senat) with 104 seats and the House of Commons (Chambre des Communes) with 301 seats.

* The Queen is represented by Governor-General Adrienne CLARKSON.

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 (Senat) 104 members are appointed by the governor-general*. In the House of Commons (Chambre des Communes) 301 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms.

* Members are appointed by a Royal Throne Council and approved on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. No terms are set and senators can serve in office until the age of 75.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Liberal Party (LIB)
  • Leader: Jean CHRETIEN
  • Seats won in this House of Commons election: 173
  • Seats won in last House of Commons election: 161
• Party: Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance (CA)**
  • Leader: Stockwell Day
  • Seats won in this House of Commons election: 66
  • Seats won in last House of Commons election: 58
• Party: Bloc Québecois (BQ)
  • Leader: Gilles DUCEPPE
  • Seats won in this House of Commons election: 37
  • Seats won in last House of Commons election: 44
• Party: New Democratic Party (NDP)
  • Leader: Alexa McDONOUGH
  • Seats won in this House of Commons election: 13
  • Seats won in last House of Commons election: 19
• Party: Progressive Conservative Party (PCP)
  • Leader: Joseph CLARK
  • Seats won in this House of Commons election: 12
  • Seats won in last House of Commons election: 15
• Party: Other Parties
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this House of Commons election: 0
  • Seats won in last House of Commons election: N/A

** This party was formerly known as the Reform Party.

Last Parliamentary election:

• Last Election to the House of Commons: June 2, 1997

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 31,281,092 (July 2000 est.)
• Registered Voters: 21,239,435 ( 2000 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 15,531,775 (2000)

·         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: 62 (House of Commons) (following 2000 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: 4,692,163 (est.)