Usher of the Black Rod

In the simulation you will:

• lead the Speaker's parade to and from the Chamber
• sit at the rear of the Chamber, opposite the Speaker's chair

You have many administrative and ceremonial duties. You lead the Speaker’s parade that opens each sitting, and you are responsible for security in the Senate Chamber. You also summon Members of the House of Commons for Royal Assent and the Speech from the Throne using a black wooden cane, which is where you get your title. Your colleagues in the Senate usually just call you “Black Rod.”

You are the personal attendant of the Monarch and the Governor General when they are in Parliament.