Using the Hansard
(Parliament of Canada: Wikimedia Commons)
Hansard is the term commonly used for the record of the debates of Parliament and provincial and territorial legislatures. It is a key resource for research into statutory interpretation, helping to shed light on the context and intent of legislative changes.
Official debates contain all Members' speeches nearly verbatim. Hansard reporters do make slight changes, but only to correct poor or confusing grammar and syntax. Members can also request minor corrections so long as they do not affect the substance or meaning of what was said.
Federal
House of Commons
“House Publications” – View sitting dates by browsing through the House of Common sessions from the beginning of the 1st Session of the 35th Parliament (1994) onwards (current day). Also provides access to the Journals and Order and Notice Papers for the same time period.
Senate
“Debates of the Hansard (Senate)”– View sitting dates by browsing through the Senate sessions from the beginning of the 2nd Session of the 35th Parliament (1996) onwards (current day). Also provides access to the Journals and Order and Notice Papers for the same time period.
Here's a helpful guide from the Law Society of Ontario on how to search the Hansard.
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
For more support with the Hansard, please contact the Law Library.