# Canadian Election Results **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 15, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-election-results/467981 "2008-10-15T00:53:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-election-results/467981/121 "2008-10-18T01:47:34Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It takes no power away from the Governor-General to call elections, No, it doesn’t, and I never said it did. You’re all focused on the fact that the GG can dissolve parliament and force a new election before four years pass. Forget that. I’m talking about the fact that the law states that there must be an election after exactly four years. So, what would happen if we went four years without an election? Nothing! Parliament doesn’t have the power to force an election. No law has the power to force an election. In passing that law, Parliament invoked a power they don’t legally have, and _that_ is what makes the law unconstitutional. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-election-results/467981/122 "2008-10-18T23:19:15Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > 1. Harper passed nothing. Commons passed a law. Not quite. The Commons passed a bill, which then went to the Senate. The Senate also passed the bill, and presented it to the Crown for royal assent. The GovGen gave royal assent on behalf of Her Majesty, at which point Parliament had passed a law. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-election-results/467981.md?page=6)