How Canadians Govern Themselves
Canada’s system of government is based on the Westminster style of
responsible government in which the executive sits as part of the legislature,
and is accountable to an elected House of Commons or provincial legislature.
The way Canadians govern themselves involves three aspects:
Constitutional Monarchy
Canada is a constitutional monarchy. This means that executive authority is
vested in the Crown, and exercised on the advice of the Prime Minister or
Premier and his or her Cabinet. The Crown is personified by Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth, and represented in Canada by the Governor General. No federal
legislation becomes law without Royal Assent given by the Governor General.
At the provincial level, the Crown is represented by Lieutenant Governors who
must give Royal Assent for provincial legislation to become law.
The Governor General and Lieutenant Governors give assent to laws that have
been passed by the elected federal
parliament or provincial legislatures.
Federation
Canada’s ten provinces and three territories make a
federation that is distinguished by a distribution of powers between the federal
Parliament the legislatures of the provinces.
The British North America Act,
1867 created the Canadian
federation as a new dominion, "a powerful nation, to take its place among
the nations of the world," according to the design of the Fathers of
Confederation. It set out the distribution of powers between the federal
and provincial levels of government, determined the makeup and powers of the two
houses of the Parliament of Canada, and provided for the status of the English
and French languages.
The four original provinces were Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick. Subsequent amendments brought seven more provinces and two
territories into Confederation. The Constitution Act, 1982 incorporated
the British North America Act, 1867, and provided Canadians a Canadian
Charter of Rights and Freedoms and a formula for amending the Constitution. In
1999, Nunavut became Canada’s third territory.
The Constitution Act, 1982 outlines the powers of the
federal government and the provincial governments.
Parliamentary Democracy
Parliament is made up of the Queen, the Senate and the House
of Commons.
Most federal laws, including all bills that involve raising revenue or
spending money, are introduced in the House of Commons. Each Member of the House
of Commons represents one of Canada’s 301 constituencies, or ridings. The
Constitution provides that the mandate of a Parliament can last no longer than
five years. Members of Parliament are chosen in federal elections that
usually take place every three or four years.
Almost all candidates in federal elections represent one of Canada’s political
parties. The party that wins the greatest number of ridings or seats in the
House of Commons usually forms the government. Its leader is asked by the Governor
General to form a government and become Prime Minister. The party
with the second largest number of seats forms the Official Opposition
and its leader becomes the Leader of the Official Opposition.
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