The Parliament Canada

The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada. It is located at Parliament Hill in the nation’s capital, Ottawa. The Parliament of Canada is made up of: the Queen (represented by the governor general), the Senate, and the House of Commons. Each component of the Parliament of Canada is organized differently and has different duties.

The House of Commons, also known as the Lower House, is composed of 308 members called Members of Parliament (MPs). MPs are elected by plurality in each of the country’s electoral districts, also known as ridings. Members must be at least 18 years of age and may serve in the House of Commons until parliament is dissolved, or for up to 5 years after being elected, where they can seek re-election indefinitely.  The duty of the House of Commons is to examine and debate bills to see whether they should be passed as laws. Bills originate in the House of Commons. Once the bill is approved by the House of Commons, it is sent to the Senate for approval.

The Senate, also known as the Upper House, is composed of 105 members called senators. Senators are appointed by the governor general by recommendation of the prime minister and may serve until age 75. Senators are men and women from all parts of Canada with many different backgrounds. To become a senator, one must: be a Canadian citizen, be at least 30 years old, own property in your province or territory, and live in the province or territory that you will represent as a senator. Similar to the House of Commons, the job of the Senate is to study and debate bills to see whether they should be passed as laws. The Senate may suggest amendments to improve bills, or reject them. Although the two Houses are similar, a difference between the Upper and Lower House is that only the House of Commons is authorised to look at bills that impose taxes or appropriate public funds. This restriction of the Senate is stated in the Constitution Act of 1867.

The legislative role of the Queen, formally known as the Queen-in-Parliament, is defined by the Constitution Act of 1867. As the Queen’s representative, the governor general’s role is to formally open parliament by reading a throne speech. The governor general does not participate in the legislative process in Parliament, except when granting royal assent, which is the final step to making a bill become a law after gaining approval from both the House of Commons and the Senate.

Essentially, the Parliament of Canada is a legislature that has the power to pass, amend, or repeal bills. Bills must go through a complex process through the House of Commons, the Senate, and may be passed as law if it is approved by each House and the governor general.

The Branches of Canadian Government

From reading my previous post, you know that the government is divided into the federal, provincial, and municipal government. In addition to the 3 levels of government, each level of government is divided into 3 branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

The executive branch has the authority to administer country, province or city, and to carry out laws. The officials at the federal level who belong to the executive branch are: the Queen (represented by the governor general), the prime minister, and the cabinet ministers, who are chosen by the Prime Minister among the elected Members of Parliament in each riding. Members of the provincial and municipal government have corresponding positions.

The legislative branch has the power to pass, amend, or repeal law. At the federal level, the Queen (represented by the governor general), the Senate, and the House of Commons belong to the legislative branch. Members of the provincial and municipal level have corresponding positions.

The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting the meaning and intent of laws and constitutions. Courts that belong to the judicial branch are: the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada, and provincial courts. No municipal courts belong to the judicial branch.

The foundation for these divisions lay in the Constitution, which is made of 4 parts: The Constitution Act of 1867, The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Amending Formula, and unwritten traditions. The Constitution Act of 1867 describes the authority, parts and functions of Parliament and provincial legislatures. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms states basic rights and responsibilities of all Canadians. The Amending Formula sets out the ways that the Constitution itself can be changed. Finally, unwritten traditions which date back centuries state various established practices, such as how we have a monarch as the head of state, political parties, and election acts.

How the Government of Canada Works

The government of Canada is a complex of political institutions, laws, and customs through which the function of governing is carried out. In other words, the government is the authority that regulates the country. Canada is made up a few distinct systems. Our nation is composed of: a constitutional monarchy, a representative democracy, a federal system, and a party system. These systems all add distinct elements to the Canadian government.

A constitutional monarchy is a form of monarchy where the monarch, or ruler, is limited a body of fundamental principles that limits the powers and functions of  the ruler. These fundamental principles make up a constitution. The monarch of Canada is Queen Elizabeth II, who is also the head of state of the United Kingdom, and 14 other independent sovereign states in the Commonwealth. Although Queen Elizabeth II is recognized as the head of state of Canada, Her Majesty’s role in Canada is largely symbolic. Her majesty has no real power or involvement in the political structure of Canada. The reason why Canada acknowledges Queen Elizabeth II as our Monarch is to honour our British heritage. Canada highly values the history that they have with the British and recognizes Queen as a monarch to show respect for Canada’s colonial past. In Canada, Her Majesty is represented by the governor general.

As mentioned earlier, the Queen is the head of state of many other sovereign states. It would be difficult to fulfill Her Majesty’s duties all on Her Majesty’s own. To solve this, the Queen has viceroys, known as governor generals, for each nation in the Commonwealth. governor generals act as Her Majesty’s representative. The governor General of Canada is David Lloyd Johnston. He is responsible for carrying out Her Majesty’s duties in Canada. As Queen Elizabeth II’s representative in Canada, the governor general formally opens parliament , gives royal assent to bills, greets foreign leaders and dignitaries, and formally acknowledges contributions of Canadians with awards and medals. In addition, in times of emergency or special circumstances, the governor general can appoint or dismiss a prime minister or dissolve parliament.

A representative democracy is a form of government where the people govern the nation by vesting their power in elected officials. These officials make the decisions on how the nation is governed on behalf of the people and are responsible for acting in the interest of the people. In Canada, representatives are chosen through elections where only Canadian Citizens aged 18 or older can vote. Canada uses the plurality system of voting. The candidate who receives the most votes out of all the candidates is elected as an official of the government.

A federal system is a form of government where the power to govern is divided between the country and constituent political units.   In Canada, power is distributed across 3 levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal. The Constitution Act of 1867 (formally known as the British North America Act of 1867) states the specific powers allocated to each level of government. The 3 levels of government each have their own authorities outlined by the Constitution.

The federal government represents the whole nation. The leader of the federal government is called the prime minister. The current prime minister of Canada is Stephen Harper. Decisions made at this level affect all citizens of Canada. Some examples of the things the federal government is responsible for and have authority over are: national defense, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, taxes, pensions, and postal service.

The provincial government represents individual provinces. The leader of a provincial government is known as the premier. The current premier of British Columbia (the province that you are in) is Gordon Campbell.Provinces are divisions within Canada. 10 provinces (and 3 territories) make up our country.  The difference between provinces and territories is that provinces receive power and authority from the Constitution Act of 1867, whereas territories have no inherent jurisdiction and only have powers delegated to them by the federal government. Some responsibilities of the provincial government include: education, hospitals, health care, roads, licenses, provincial police, and taxes.

The municipal government represents cities/towns. The leader of a municipal government is called the mayor. The current mayor of the city of Vancouver (the city that you are in) is Gregor Robertson. Actions made at the municipal level have the closest contact with individual citizens. Some examples of things that the municipal government is responsible for are: firefighters, local police, garbage/sanitation, water, public transit, and taxes.

A party system is a system of government where political organizations called parties seek to influence how the nation is governed. Parties are composed of people with similar beliefs, ideas and plans about how to best govern. They promote their ideologies through campaigning to influence and gain support from the public. Representatives from the federal, provincial, and municipal government all belong to political parties. Parties may function at all levels of government, or may choose to participate in only one or two levels of government.

In Canada, there are 3 major political parties: Conservatives , Liberals, and the New Democratic Party (otherwise known as the NDP). Prime Minister Stephen Harper belongs to the Conservative Party. The Conservatives promote the maintenance of traditional institutions and support minimal, gradual change in society.  The Liberal Party of Canada focuses on addressing economic issues, social issues, and expanding civil rights. The NDP aims for a society that is organized on the basis of relatively equal power relations, self-management, and collective decision-making.

Constitutional monarchy, representative democracy, federal system, and party system are the basis of the Canadian government.