Dissolution is the formal termination of a Parliament or provincial legislature, ending the term of the current elected body and triggering an election. In Canada's parliamentary system, dissolution occurs when the Governor General (federally) or Lieutenant Governor (provincially) accepts the Prime Minister's or Premier's advice to dissolve the legislature, or when a fixed election date arrives. Once dissolution occurs, Parliament or the legislature ceases to exist—all bills that haven't received Royal Assent die, committees dissolve, and members' official status ends until they're re-elected. The period between dissolution and election is called the writ period. During this time, government continues in a caretaker capacity, avoiding major new initiatives. Fixed election date legislation now exists federally and in most provinces, though early dissolution remains possible.