Chapter 14 The Government and Political of Canada

1. Chapter 14 The Government and Political of Canada

2. 1.Historical Background Of Canadian Political System Canada’s political system reflected the two major foreign influences on the historical development of the country: Canada remained British structure,it legacy is followed Britain’s , American republicanism and some other revolutionary ideas were reacted the way the Canadian government evolved.Freedom of speech and freedom of information are much more valued in contemporary Canada. American was founded on the idea of individualism-,they aspire to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”,Canadians found their nation based on “peace, order and good goverment”

3. 2. Structures of government Canada's system of government is based on the British system of parliamentary democracy. Like Britain, Canada is a monarchy. The official head of state is the Queen, but she is represented by an official called a Governor General as she /he doesn't live in Canada. Canada is a federation with ten prov inces and three territories. The government of the country is referred to as the federal government , to distinguish it from the lower level government of each province. The Canadian Parliament is divided into the House of Commons and the Senate. The members of the House of Commons are elected, whereas the senators are appointed by the Governor General, who acts upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The

4. party that wins the most seats in the House of Commons forms the Government and the party leader becomes Prime Minister. The Cabinet, chosen by the Prime Minis-ter, is made up of senior Mps from the governing party. Federal political power has been held by either Liberty Party or by the Progressive Conservatives.

5. 3.The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which was introduced in 1982, expressed the idea that any ethnic, racial and religious groups which wanted to retain their cultural identity would be supported by the federal govern- ment. This promise was further strengthened and explained in the 1988 Multiculturalism Act.

6. 4. The Bloc Quebecois The Bloc Quebecois is the powerful regional party in the mainly French-speaking province of Quebec. It's dedicated to the task of winning important concessions from the rest of Canada. Its main concern is only to do what is best for Quebec, not for other areas and wants to separate entirely from the federal government and form their own country. 5. Pierire Trudeau Pierre Trudeau was born in Montreal, Quebec. He used to be a lawyer and became the Prime Minister in 1968. He was one Of the most influential prime minis-ters in Canada. Despite his French

7. roots, he preferred a powerful and united Canada based on bilingualism and he worked very hard to bring English and French Canada closer together. He introduced vigorous programs to promote the use of French throughout Canada. In 1982, he introduced the Constitution Act which gave Canada complete legal independence, and thus Canada became completely independent of Great Britain. 6. Jean Chretien :~ Jean Chretien is the current Prime Minister and the leader of the Liberal Party.: He is a member of the French-speak-ing community as his name suggests. He has had a very long political Career. He first became an MP in 1963 and was a Cabinet Minister and one of Trudeau's most trusted

8. colleagues throughout the 1970s. He is considered the natural successor to Trudeau who preferred a united Canada.