What is a Government?

The word government means to exercise power in a group. Every group needs people to make and enforce decisions that control the conduct

of the group.A government’s basic task is to make a set of

laws to allow people in a society to live together in peace and security.

• There are 3 functions of government:• Legislative function is the making of

laws or the passing of legislation.• Executive function is putting the laws

into effect on a daily basis.• Judicial function is to decide if an

individual has broken society’s laws and to punish the guilty

Canada’s government has been described as the following:

• Democracy = is a system of government in which the people rule or have the power. In Canada, we elect others to represent us in governing the country.

Canada’s government has been described as the following:

• Monarchy = The monarch is the source of all authority. Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Canada. She is represented by the Governor General Governor General.

Canada’s government has been described as the following:• Parliamentary system = Canada’s

parliament consists of the Queen represented by the Governor General, the Senate, whose members are appointed and by the House of Commons, made up of representatives elected by the Canadian voters.

Canada’s government has been described as the following:• Cabinet = The cabinet minsters carry out

the executive functions of the government. Cabinet ministers must be elected to the House of Commons or have seats in the Senate. In order to stay in office they must have the support of the majority of the members of the House of Commons.

Canada’s government has been described as the following:• Federal Government = The

government has a system in which the power to make laws is shared between two levels of government: a national or central government and provincial governments. Canada is a federation of provinces and territories or has a federal government because both levels of government have the power to make laws

Governor General

• Appointed Official• Represents the Queen, but follows the

advice of the cabinet12• 5 years• Entertains important foreign visitors• Honours distinguished Canadians• Cuts ribbons at ceremonies• Lends support to causes & events• Serves as a reminder of the past• Resides at Rideau Hall in Ottawa• Gives Royal Assent to Bills

Current Governor General

• Michaëlle Jean

Her Majesty The Queen had graciously agreed to the appointment of David Johnston as the 28th Governor General of Canada. Mr. Johnston will be sworn into office on October 1, 2010

Prime Minister

• Leader of the majority party in the House of Commons• Elected by the people• Office has no fixed term• Follows the wishes of the majority of the House of

Commons• Leads the party caucus in parliament.• Caucus = a private meeting of the elected members of a

political party• Acts as the voice of the nation• Directs foreign policy

• Serves as the leader of the governing party and with the aid

of a House leader guides debates/discussions in the House

Prime Minister

• Chooses the Ministers for his/her Cabinet• Can ask anyone to resign from the Cabinet• Cabinet decisions do not necessarily go by the majority

vote. A strong PM, after having listened to everyone’s opinions & advice, simply announces that his or her view is the policy of the government

• The PM lives at 24 Sussex Drive, a house maintained by the government

Current Prime Minister

• Prime Minister of Canada is the Conservative Party's Stephen Harper

The Cabinet

• PM Cabinet is made up of app. 30 ministers• Chosen by the PM from the majority party in the House

of Commons• The Cabinet & PM decide on policies the Government will

follow. It is responsible for all legislation & has the power to

make new laws• It decides whether :

• to raise or lower taxes• The country will be at peace or war• To improve airports• To increase old-age pensions

The Cabinet

• Each province must be represented by at least one Minister.

• Each minister is responsible for a Government Department

• Each minister also has a Deputy Minister who is a permanent head of the department.

• These officers are civil servants who are employed by the Government.

• Each Minister is responsible, answerable & accountable

for his/her department to the House of Commons.

The Cabinet

• Every Cabinet Minister must agree and defend all policies decided whether they totally agree with them or not.

• If they cannot agree & will not support the Cabinet, they may resign or be asked to resign by the PM

• This team playing is referred to as “the collective responsibility of the Cabinet”

Cabinet Ministers

• The Leader of the Government in the Senate• The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food• The Minister of Canadian Heritage• The Minister of Citizenship & Immigration• The Minister of Environment• The Minister of Finance & Minister for the Federal Office of

Regional Development Quebec• The Minister of Fisheries & Oceans• The Minister of Foreign Affairs• The Minister of Health• The Minister of National Revenue• The Minister of Transport• The President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada,

Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs & Ministers responsible for Public Service Renewal

• The Minister of Human Resource Development & Western Economic Diversification

• The Minister of native Affairs & Northern Development

• The Minister of Industry• The Minister of International Trade• The Minister of Justice & Attorney General of Canada• The Minister of National Defence & Veterans’ Affairs• The Minister of Public Works & Government Services

& of the Atlantic Opportunities• The President of the Treasury Board & Minister for

Infrastructure• The Solicitor General & Leader of the Government in

the House of Commons

Parliament

• Parliament consists of :• The Queen• The Senate (Upper House)• House of Commons (Lower House)

• The Queen is the formal head of Canada.• The Governor General represent her at

the Federal level• The Lieutenant-Governors represent her

at the Provincial level• They govern through a Cabinet, headed by

the PM (federal level) & a Premier (Provincial Level)

The Senate

• The Upper House • Made up of 105 men & women• Its presiding officer, the Speaker of the Senate, and

the Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of the PM

• Usually given as a reward for service to the country

• Senators must retire at 75 yrs old or if they miss 2 consecutive sessions of Parliament

• They must be at least 30 yrs old & have real estate worth $4000.00

• They must reside in the province/territory for which they are appointed

The Senate

• The can initiate bills, except bills providing for the spending of public money or imposing taxes.

• It has the right to amend or reject any bill• No bill can become law unless passed by the

Senate• The Senate is made up of members who have

specialized knowledge and long years of legal, business or administrative experience.

• They are often ex-Ministers, ex-Premiers, ex-mayors, important lawyers & experienced farmers

The Senate 2010

The House of Commons

• Lower House• 308 Seats• Elected by the people• 5 year term• Each Member represents a constituency (district) of a

province or territory.• They do not have to live in the constituency• Parliament sits about 27 weeks of the year.• A regular sitting day always includes routine business,

committee reports are presented, documents are recorded, Ministers make statements, petitions are presented & bills are introduced

• The Question Period is when Ministers must defend the activities of their departments & the policies of the Government

The House of Commons 2010

The House of Commons

• 1. Speaker2. Pages3. Government Members4. Opposition Members*5. Prime Minister6. Leader of the Official Opposition7. Leader of the Second Largest Party in Opposition8. Clerk and Table Officers9. Mace10. Hansard Reporters11. Sergeant-at-Arms12. The Bar

• Continue next slide…

• 13. Interpreters14. Press Gallery15. Public Gallery16. Official Gallery17. Leader of the Opposition’s Gallery18. Members’ Gallery19. Members’ Gallery20. Members’ Gallery21. Speaker’s Gallery22. Senate Gallery23. T.V. Cameras

National Political Parties• Stephen

Harper Michael Ignatieff

Jack LaytonGilles Duceppe

Political Spectrum

• Left Wing Larger role for government, smaller role for individuals More spending on social welfare programs Less spending on the military Government Ownership of key industries & resources Emphasis on individual rights More lenient justice system, with emphasis on rehabilitating offenders

Centre Shared role for government and individuals Maintain existing spending on social welfare programs Maintain existing spending on military Economy a mix of public and private enterprise Mix between individual rights and social order Balance between protecting society’s rights and rehabilitating offenders

• Right Wing Larger role for individuals, smaller role for government Less spending on social welfare programs More spending on the military Economy left to the private sector, with little government interference Strict adherence to social order Stricter justice system, with harsher punishment for offenders

Opposition Party

• Political parties sitting in the OPPOSITION serve as watchdogs of government. It is their job to criticize and challenge governmental policies, laws and decisions, in order to have the best possible outcomes throughout the political process.

• Current Opposition Party is the Liberal Party

• Leader of the Opposition Party is Michael Ignatieff

Speaker of the House

• There are 2 Speakers in the Houses of Parliament:• Speaker of the Senate is appointed• Speaker of the House of Commons is

elected by the Members of Parliament in a secret ballot in the Commons Chambers after a new election.

• Must be a member of the House of Commons.• If the speaker is English then the Deputy

Speaker must be French and vice-versa

Speaker of the House

• Each sitting of the House of Commons is preceded by a Speaker’s Parade

• Each day begins in the House of Commons with the Speaker saying a prayer before being seated in an ornately carved armchair.

• Members must bow to the Speaker when they enter, leave or cross the Chamber.

• They make sure everyone is following parliamentary procedure.

• If there is a tie vote in the House, the Speaker may cast the deciding vote.

Speaker of the House

• The current Speaker of the House of Commons is the Honourable Peter Milliken.

Members of Parliament

• An MP is a federal representative who represents people that live in a voting area called a constituency. The people that live in a constituency are called constituents.

• MPs are from all over Canada and form a group called the House of Commons.

• They meet at Parliament to discuss the country’s business and things that affect the people.

• They report to their constituents through meetings, phone calls, letters, newsletters and websites.

How is Law Made?

• Laws are made by Parliament.• A law or statute begins as a bill.• MPs can introduce a bill in the House of

Commons or the Senate.• Each bill must have three readings.• 1st reading = introduces the bill• 2nd reading = members debate the general principles of the bill,

the ideas and convictions on which it is based. They then examine the details of the bill, which is done in the Committee of the Whole House. The bill might then go to a smaller committee, Standing Committee, where experts are called in to give their views. Amendments may also be made.

• 3rd reading = After this, it goes to the Senate and once the Senate approves it, it goes to the Governor General for assent.

• Once it is signed, it becomes law is called an Act.

Elections

• Held every 5 years• People vote for the leader they want • Elections are held at the national level, provincial level

and local level• The PM calls for the election or if there is a vote of non-

confidence, which means that the government is defeated in the House of Commons because the members no longer feel the government is working well.

• Election Canada is an agency run by Parliament that organizes all federal elections

• Enumerators make a list of all the people in Canada that can vote. You must be 18 years of age.

• The voters elect representatives to the House of Commons.

• Canada is organized into app.300 electoral districts, also called ridings, seats or constituencies.

• In each riding, the different political parties choose candidates to run for election.

• The candidate that wins takes a seat in the House of Commons.

• The party that wins the most seats forms the government.

• The leader of the winning party becomes the Prime Minister.