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Parliament and the Government

Parliament and the Government. Government. Canada’s system of governance is based on the parliamentary system in Britain. The belief that governments must be elected by the people in order to make laws and govern is very important.

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Parliament and the Government

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  1. Parliament and the Government

  2. Government • Canada’s system of governance is based on the parliamentary system in Britain. • The belief that governments must be elected by the people in order to make laws and govern is very important. • When Canada became a nation there were four founding colonies: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Canada’s East and Canada’s West.

  3. Government • These founding colonies agreed to a system of Confederation – which is a system that divides powers between national government and the provinces. • This federal system has responsibilities for making laws, regulations, policies and decisions and are shared between the federal gov’t and the provincial gov’t. The specific responsibilities are stated in Canada’s constitution.

  4. The Key Players • Queen (the head of government but is represented by the Governor General at the federal level and lieutenant governor at the provincial level) • An elected House of Commons • An appointed Senate • In a parliamentary system of government, voters give the power to make new laws and regulations to elected MPs. At bth the federal and provincial levels, the elected chambers are organized the same way.

  5. Use your notes and previous handouts to record the role and responsibilities of the Queen, The Senate, the Governor General and the Lieutenant Governor General into the organizer provided. • Our government is based on the Constitution and the rule of law.

  6. Federal Government • There are three branches in our federal government system. • Executive branch • Legislative branch • Judicial branch

  7. Executive Branch – PM + Cabinet • Prime Minister (PM)- Stephen Harper • PM is head of Canada’s government • PM must be elected as a leader of his or her political party • AND the PM must then be elected as a member of Parliament or MP. • The leader of the political party that wins the most seats (election of MPs) in the House of Commons becomes the PM

  8. The Cabinet includes people with responsibility for different departments and agencies. • Members of the Cabinet are called Cabinet Ministers • The PM chooses cabinet ministers and assigns portfolios or department. • The Cabinet and the PM carry out the day-to-day business of the government and they propose most of the ideas that become laws.

  9. Legislative: House of Commons + Senate • The House of Commons is the major law-making body of the government • Members of the HoC (MPs) debate, study, and vote on bills which becomes laws if passed. • Each elected MP represents voters of one riding or district. • An MP’s to key responsibilities : a) represent their constituents (voters) b) create effective legislation (or law)

  10. Senators are appointed by regional divisions within the country • Seats in the Senate are represented regionally and equally: - 24 for Ontario - 24 for Quebec - 24 for the Maritime provinces - 24 for the Western provinces - 6 for Newfoundland and Labrador (joined confederation in 1949 and is not assigned to any region) - 1 for each of the Yukon, NWT, and Nunavut

  11. Judicial Branch: courts (Supreme Court of Canada, federal and provincial courts) • Settle disputes between individuals, between individuals and the government and between the different levels of governement. • Includes all of Canada’s courts of law • All members come from the legal profession • The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country and has the final say in all legal questions in the country.

  12. Legislative Branch Power: Make, change or remove laws and regulations Who: FederalProvincial Parliament Queen (LG) Queen (GG) Elected house (legislature- MPPs) Elected members (MPs) lower house (House of Commons) Appointed upper house (senate)

  13. Executive Branch Power: Carries out laws and regulations Who: Federal Provincial The Queen (GG) Queen (LG) PM Premier Cabinet members Prov cabinet members civil servants civil servants

  14. Judicial Branch Power: Interprets the laws (the power to find a person innocent or guilty) power is invested in our court system Supreme Court – all decisions are FINAL Who: Federal & provincial judicial branch judges attorney general lawyers juries

  15. A good way to understand how power is divided into three branches is to think of your relationship with a teacher in a classroom. A. In this scenario, the class is to be working on an assigned activity that is due the next day. However, very little on-task work is being accomplished. For the most part, students are socializing, walking around the class, distracting one another, and are generally unfocused. Your teacher announces, "For the remainder of this class, there will be no more talking or moving freely between desks in the classroom."

  16. Your teacher has exercised his/her legislative power. He/she has made a rule: "There will be no talking or moving about in the classroom."

  17. B. The class is quiet and working on task for a few minutes, until one student decides to challenge the new rule (not you of course) by turning to the pupils behind him/her and loudly engaging in conversation about an upcoming social event. After one or two unheeded warnings, the teacher tells the student, "Change your location to an isolated corner of the room away from other students."

  18. This time your teacher has exercised his/her executive power. He/she has carried out the rule: No talking - move the student who is a distraction.

  19. C. After another short period of time, there is some talking that occurs in the area around your desk. The teacher tells you to stop talking, to which you reply, "I wasn't talking. It was Jason." Now, what does your teacher have to do? With an entire class looking on, he/she has to decide whether the disturbance was caused by Jason or by you.

  20. Your teacher is exercising his/her judicial power. He/she has to judge the guilt or innocence of you and/or Jason.

  21. 13) Role of each person in the Federal Government • Speaker of the house • -Keeping order in debates • -Makes decisions on the day-to-day running of the HOC • -MPs elect one of their own to serve as speaker

  22. b) Prime Minister -Leader of the political party that has the most seats in Parliament -most powerful person in Parliament

  23. C) Cabinet of Ministers -ministers are selected by the PM • Chosen from MPs of the PMs own political party • Senators have served in the cabinet • PM and the cabinet direct government policy

  24. D) Leader of the Official Opposition -usually the leader of the 2nd largest party in the gov’t Responsible for presenting clear alternatives to gov’t policy and for suggesting amendments to the gov’ts legislative agenda

  25. E) Shadow Cabinet • Selected by leader of opposition • The SC job is to ‘shadow’ the cabinet by criticizing gov’t policy and for suggesting amendments to the gov’ts legislative agenda

  26. F) MPs • Rep electoral districts in the legislature • Elected to serve constituents • Follow the instructions when voting on bills of their political party leader • MP of the opposition – their role is to provide constructive criticism of gov’t policy

  27. 14) Provincial Legislature Key Roles • Consists of the Queen who is represented by the Lieutenant Governor and the elected legislature. • Speaker of the house • keeping order in debates • -makes decisions on the day-to-day running of the legislature • -member of the legislature who is elected by his or her peers

  28. B) Premier (Kathleen Wynne) • -the leader of the political party that has the most seats in the legislature • -most powerful person in the legislature C) Cabinet of Ministers • -ministers are selected by the premier to be responsible for different areas of public policy • -chosen from members of the legislature of the premier’s own party (but can be chosen from other members of the legislature) • -the premier and the cabinet direct gov’t policy

  29. D) Leader of the Opposition • usually the leader of the 2nd largest party in the legislature • -responsible for criticizing and putting forward an alternative to gov’t policy E) Shadow Cabinet • -the leader of the official opposition selects the shadow cabinet • -‘shadow’ the cabinet by criticizing gov’t policy • -member of the shadow cabinet take on the same areas of responsibility as members of the cabinet

  30. F) Members of the Legislative Assembly (Members of the Provincial Parliament- ON) (MPP’s) • -elected to serve the voters in their constituency (almost always members of a political party) • -usually follow the instructions of their party leader when they vote in the legislature • -some sit on gov’t benches (belong to or support the political party that forms the gov’t • -others are members of the opposition parties (provide constructive criticism of gov’t policy, to present policy alternaties, and to suggest amendments to the gov’ts legislative agenda

  31. 15) According to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms requires that the Federal gov’t meets at least once a year. 16) to debate policy and make laws 17) to communicate its plans to parliament and the public 18) 3 readings 1st (no debate/discussion) 2nd (debate) then to a committee (changed/improved) 3rd (vote) Senate

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