The 5th Parliament of the Province of Canada was summoned in August 1854, following the general election for the Legislative Assembly in July 1854.
The number of seats in the Assembly had been increased by the 4th Parliament of the Province of Canada to 130, 65 for each section.
Sessions were held in Quebec City until 1856 and then in Toronto.
In 1855, a bill was passed to make the Legislative Council an elected body, effective the following year.
The Audit Act of 1855 established an auditor of public accounts, the first auditor general and the Audit Board, a new government department, which reviewed the public accounts.