How often does your MP speak up in the House of Commons?
CBC
Members of Parliament all receive the same base salary — $203,100 — but some spend much less time on their feet in the House of Commons than others.
Using data provided by the House of Commons, Radio-Canada ranked all 338 MPs on the number of times they've spoken in the Commons or exercised their right to vote in the current session of Parliament.
The amount of time MPs spend addressing the House tends to vary greatly depending on their caucus responsibilities and whether they're on the government or opposition benches. It can also depend on health problems that aren't always disclosed publicly.
The numbers compiled by Radio-Canada exclude MPs elected in byelections during the current session. Speakers and deputy Speakers of the House of Commons are also not included in the vote totals because they often abstain in the course of their duties.
In total, MPs stood to deliver speeches or statements in House of Commons 126,000 times during the current session, which works out to an average of 373 speeches or statements per MP since the 2021 federal election.
But 24 of those MPs stood to speak fewer than 50 times each during that period.
More than three-quarters of MPs have accumulated at least 800 votes each since the start of the current session in November 2021. But 13 MPs voted fewer than 700 times each during that same period.
Among party leaders, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet has voted the least often during the current session (636 times), followed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (721 votes), NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh (762 votes) and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre (814 votes).
In a written statement, Blanchet acknowledged that he missed several votes despite the ability to vote remotely.
"I made the choice to meet Quebecers in all regions of Quebec, with the lack of cellphone coverage that entails," he said. "I believe that the Bloc Québécois has never been so connected with the people's priorities thanks to the hundreds of meetings I've held in recent years."
Liberal Yves Robillard, who represents a riding in Laval, is the least vocal among the current crop of MPs. He has spoken only twice in the House of Commons this year, and only once in 2023.
In response to questions from Radio-Canada, Robillard said he is on sick leave. He did not say when his sick leave began and didn't indicate whether he informed his constituents about his health status.
"I am not running in the next election," he said, adding that he plans to make a formal announcement this month.
The second least-vocal MP on the list is Conservative Ron Liepert, who announced last year that he is not running in the next election. The MP for Calgary Signal Hill, first elected in 2015, has stood up only 12 times in the House since the last federal election in 2021.
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