The mystery of Seat 309
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In the wake of Elizabeth May’s victory on Wednesday night, Colby Cosh raised an important question: Why are there 309 seats in the House of Commons if we only have 308 MPs?
Despite the many hours I’ve spent in the House pondering life’s mysteries, I had no idea what the explanation for this was. So I asked the proper authorities and the official explanation is apparently this: the intent has been to maximize the number of seats in the House and 309 seats is the maximum number of workspaces that can be accommodated in the current setup.
There are, essentially, two extra spots at present, since the Speaker obviously has his own chair.
