Claim: The Parliament of Canada consists of a lower house: the House of Commons.

The Parliament of Canada -LRB- Parlement du Canada -RRB- is the federal legislative branch of Canada , seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital , Ottawa , Ontario . The body consists of the Canadian monarch , represented by a viceroy , the governor general ; an upper house : the Senate ; and a lower house : the House of Commons . Each element has its own officers and organization . The governor general summons and appoints each of the 105 senators on the advice of the Prime Minister of Canada , while the 338 members of the House of Commons -- called members of parliament -LRB- MPs -RRB- -- are directly elected by eligible Canadian voters , with each MP representing a single electoral district , commonly referred to as a riding .   By constitutional convention , the House of Commons is the dominant branch of parliament , the Senate and Crown rarely opposing its will . The Senate reviews legislation from a less partisan standpoint and the monarch or viceroy provides the necessary Royal Assent to make bills into law . The governor general also summons parliament , while either the viceroy or monarch can prorogue or dissolve parliament , the latter in order to call a general election . Either will read the Throne Speech . The most recent parliament , summoned by Governor General David Johnston in 2015 , is the 42nd since Confederation in 1867 .