Member of Parliament (Canada)

In the Canadian Republic, a Member of Parliament (MP; French: Député(e) du Parlement, DP) is an elected member (legislator) of the House of Commons of Canada, the lower chamber of the Parliament of Canada. Elected members of the Senate of Canada (the upper chamber) are referred to as "senators" (sénateurs/sénatrices). Each MP holds a single seat in the House of Commons, with each seat representing a riding (electoral district) of more or less equal population. MPs debate upon issues and each cast a single vote to approve or not approve proposed legislation; all MPs are eligible to cast a single vote, except for the Speaker of the House, who may only vote to break a tie; the Speaker is also expected to remain politically neutral and thus does not contribute to ongoing debates.