Canadians can't dissolve Parliament by contacting the GG, Rideau Hall points out

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon delivers the Throne Speech in the Senate in Ottawa on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Rideau Hall took a moment to remind Canadians that they can’t simply dissolve Parliament by contacting the Governor General or her office and registering a vote of no confidence.

In a statement posted to Twitter on Tuesday, the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General Mary Simon said: “No such registry or process exists.”

“The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General (OSGG) is aware that misinformation encouraging citizens to contact the Governor General or our office to register votes of no confidence is circulating on social media. This information is not correct,” the statement reads.

Regular Canadians cannot register a vote of no confidence. MPs are elected to represent their constituents in Parliament on all voting matters.

If the government is defeated in the House of Commons on a confidence question, it is expected to resign or seek dissolution of Parliament which then triggers an election.

While the Rideau Hall statement doesn’t say what prompted it, a document written by “Freedom Convoy” backers referenced plans to overthrow the government. A group called “Canada Unity” issued a “memorandum of understanding” on its website calling for the Senate and Governor General to join them to order the removal of COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates or dissolve the government.

It later issued a follow-up statement that the document “does not reflect the spirit and intent of the Freedom Convoy Movement 2022” and that “Canada Unity firmly supports the constitution and democratic process.”

An important message from the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General pic.twitter.com/GuMoolupXY

— GG Rideau Hall | GG Citadelle (@RideauHall) February 22, 2022