capitalizing member of Parliament

The following guidelines explain when to capitalize the word member in the term member of Parliament.

When to capitalize

Capitalize member of Parliament in the following cases:

1. When Member of Parliament is placed next to a personal name:
   • Peter MacKay, Member of Parliament for Central Nova
2. When Member of Parliament or Member refers to a specific person and is used as a substitute for that person’s name:
   • The Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre voted in favour of the bill.
   • The Member made no further comment

When not to capitalize

Do not capitalize member of Parliament in the following cases:

1. When member of Parliament is written in the plural or is preceded by an indefinite article:
   • members of Parliament
   • a member of Parliament
2. When member of Parliament is modified by a possessive or other type of adjective:
   • They discussed it with their member of Parliament.
   • The group rallied around the former member of Parliament.
3. When member of Parliament refers to a role rather than a person:
   • As member of Parliament [that is, while occupying a certain position], Agnes MacPhail helped reform the penal system.
   • The member of Parliament [any person who occupies that position] must first represent his or her constituents.

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