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ESS
PowerPoint 2
Government in
Canada

What is a Government?
One of the oldest and most important
institutions since the dawn of civilization.
The term government means a group
which exercises power. Every society
needs people to make decisions and
enforce decisions that affect the conduct
of the group.

Elements of Governments
• There are a number of common elements found
in all governments. They are:
• Rules of Conduct: Rules to govern the lives of its members.
• Authority: The people are governed by a supreme power or
authority.
• Acceptance: The people give the government the right to
exercise power.
• Jurisdiction: The area over which the government had the
right or power to enforce rules or laws.
• Law Enforcement: The power and ability to impose the
government’s rules and laws.

Types of Government
 Anarchism: The absence of government. The people
believe that the government conflicts with personal
liberty and are unnecessary.
 They would get rid of all public governments and lets
only individuals and private groups govern the activities
of a country.
Just as many people view this type of
government as Chaos as those who see it
as Utopia. Either way, this type of
government has proved ineffective for
growth and development

» Dictatorship: When a ruler or rulers have
no restrictions on their power. They have
exclusive control over the government and
the people have little to no say in the
running of the country. A dictator usually
obtains and maintains their power through
violence and trickery.
• Totalitarianism: An extreme version of
dictatorship when the government not only
controls the running of the country, but also
the daily lives of it’s citizens. They destroy
institutions like churches, unions, and
corporations and demand total loyalty to the
government. They use force and terrorism
to enforce their rule.

• Communism: The government is tightly controlled by one,
and the only, political party. There is no freedom of choice
for the leaders and the people have little to no say in the
running of the government. The Communist Party’s job is to
run the businesses, pool resources, and decide who gets
what. There
are no private enterprises and many restrictions on
what citizens can own, what groups they can
belong to, and what they can say and do.
» Monarchy: A form of government in which the head of
state inherits or is elected to the throne for a lifetime.
Monarchs have a variety on names such as queen,
prince, emperor. Traditionally the monarch’s power is
absolute and was responsible only to God. Today many
remaining monarchs’ power is symbolic, leaving the
running of their countries to the various governing
bodies.

• Democracy: In a direct democracy, the
people govern themselves. They make
laws for their community together.
However this only works in small
communities where everyone has a direct
voice in decisions made.
Larger communities have indirect
democracy.
Representatives are elected by
communities to
represent them when decisions are made
by the
government. They are elected by a vote.

In a democratic country, people have almost
unlimited opportunities to make the government
truly representative. Many people take part in
the process of their government by supporting a
political party. Political parties run against each
other. The party who gets the most votes by the
citizens generally create the government.
A democratic government with a capitalist or mixed economy
has provided greater prosperity for more people without major
sacrifices of personal liberty than any other system of
government.

 Pluralism: is found in countries where
public and private groups have
acceptance and can affect the way a
country is run. Groups representing
business, farming, labour, ethnic, or racial
groups can affect the way a country is
run.  Constitutional and Parliamentary: Most
major countries have some sort of
constitution in place. It is a basic set of laws
by which the people are governed.
Parliamentary or cabinet governments means
the country is governed by a representative
group. In Canada, the Prime Minister and
Cabinet are the top executives but and also
members of parliament- they are under its
direct control and are responsible to it. A
country can be run under a parliamentary

Questions
• Why does Canada need a gov’t
system?
• What are the pros and cons of the
Canadian gov’t system?
• If you had to change our gov’t to a
different system, which system would
you choose and why?

Governments in Canada
• Canada is a federal state, parliamentary democracy
and constitutional monarchy.
• A federal state brings together a number of different
political communities with a central government
(federal) for national matters and separate local
governments (provincial/territorial) for local affairs.
• As a parliamentary democracy, we elect members to
our parliament and legislatures across the country.
• As a constitutional monarchy, Canada’s head of
state is a hereditary sovereign (queen or king), who
reigns in accordance with the Constitution.

Three Levels of Government
• Canada is a very large country with different needs
and interests.
• In order to meet the needs of citizens, the Canadian
government is structured into a three-level system:
federal, provincial/territorial and municipal/local.
• Each level has its own arrangement of elected and
appointed officials as well as a unique set of
responsibilities.

Three Branches of Government
• Legislative Branch: Creates laws, rules and regulations
under federal jurisdiction. The legislative branch is
made up of federal elected representatives called
Members of Parliament.
• Executive Branch: Responsible for government operations, and
implementing and enforcing laws and regulations.
Includes the Queen’s representative (the governor
general) and cabinet ministers (appointed by the
prime minister).
• Judicial Branch: Interprets the law and determines the penalty
for those who violate established laws, rules and
regulations. Includes the Canadian court system,
which is headed by the Supreme Court and nine
appointed judges.

Federal
• The elected representative at the federal level is called a
Member of Parliament (MP).
• Canadians will elect 338 MPs in the current election. This
is the federal legislative body, which creates or
enacts laws.
• MPs debate and pass laws in the House of Commons
in Ottawa.
• The leader of the government is called the prime minister.
• The Queen is represented by the governor general.

Provincial/Territorial
• The elected representatives are called Members of the
Legislative Assembly (MLAs), Members of Provincial
Parliament (MPPs), Members of the National Assembly
(MNAs) or Members of the House of Assembly (MHAs),
depending on the province or territory.
• Elected representatives debate and pass laws at the
provincial or territorial legislature.
• The leader of the government is called the premier.
• The Queen is represented by a lieutenant governor in
Canada’s ten provinces and by a territorial
commissioner in the three territories.

Municipal/Local
• The elected representative at the municipal level is
called a councillor or alderman.
• The head of the council is called a mayor, reeve or
chairperson.
• The size and structure of the council differs
depending on the population it represents.

Constitution
• When they chose a federal form of government, the
Canadian Fathers of Confederation assigned
particular responsibilities to the federal and
provincial governments
• This division of powers is based on the idea of
subsidiarity, meaning that the government level
closest to the issue governs it.
• Municipal/local governments receive powers from
their province or territory.

Division of Responsibilities
• Federal: Justice, citizenship and immigration, national
defence, currency, public safety, fisheries and oceans
• Provincial/Territorial: Education, healthcare delivery,
environment, energy
• Municipal/Local: Road maintenance, water and sewer
service, recreation and community facilities,
libraries, police protection services

Final Thoughts
• Is government important? Why or why not?
• How does government affect your life?
• Why is it important to know who your elected
representative is?

Function of
Government
• A government is the machinery set up by
individuals to enable them to do what other
cannot do on their own. Without some form of
government there would be no order or
protection for people and their property.
• 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. A government also
makes sure laws are obeyed and sets up
punishment or penalties that protect the interests
of the people as a whole against the greed or
ambition of any one person or group.

Tasks
• There are many different kings of
governments but they all carry out three
main tasks or functions. They are
legislative, executive, and judicial. The
legislative function is the making of laws or
the passing of legislation. The executive
function is putting the laws into effect on a
daily basis. The judicial function is to
decide if an individual has broken societal
laws and to bring justice.

Canada’s Government
The government of Canada has been
described as a democracy, a monarchy, a
parliamentary system, a cabinet
government, and a federal government.
Canada is considered a democracy
because we use a system where the
citizens of the country freely choose the
people who will govern them. We elect
others to represent us in governing the
country by voting.

• Canada’s government has also been
described as a monarchy.
• We are still part of the British
Commonwealth; therefore, Queen
Elisabeth II of England is also the queen of
Canada.
• She is represented by the governor
general. Even though they are technically
at the top of the governmental hierarchy,
neither the Queen nor the Governor
General play a major role in our
government.

• Canada’s government has also
been described as a parliamentary
government and a cabinet
government. Our parliament
consists of the Governor General,
the Senate, and the House of
Commons.
• The Cabinet consists of members of the
House of Commons or Senate who are
elected by the Prime Minister into the
Cabinet in order to deal with the many
issues facing Canadians today.

• Our government is also referred to as a federal system
of government. This means our government has a
system in which the power to make laws is shared
between two levels of government- a national or central
government (federal) and provincial governments. Within
the provinces, there are municipal governments that look
after towns and/or districts. All three work independently
for the common good of all of Canada.

Questions:
•What is overall the function of the
government?
•What is the function of the
Governor General?
•What are the three levels of the
Canadian government?

The Prime Minister
• The head or leader of Canada is called the
Prime Minister. He or she is also the leader of
the majority party in the House of Commons and
id directly elected by the people. The office of
the Prime Minister has no fixed term. However,
general elections are held every five years. The
Prime Minister holds office only with the backing
of the majority. If a Prime Minister loses support
through a vote of non confidence by the House
of Commons, he/she must resign to request the
Governor General to call a new general election.

Well Known Prime Ministers of
Canada
Sir John A Macdonald
1867- 1873
Sir Wilfred Laurier
1911- 1917
John G Diefenbaker
1957-1963
Pierre Elloitt
Trudeau
1968-1979
1980- 1984
John Chrétien
1993- 2003

• The Prime Minister is the most powerful person
in the government, He/she chooses the
Ministers for the Cabinet and can also ask any
one of them to resign. Cabinet decisions do not
necessarily go by majority vote. A strong Prime
Minister, after having listened to everyone’s
opinions and advice, simply announces that his
or her view is the policy of the government, even
if most of the Cabinet are opposed. The Cabinet
Ministers who are opposed either resign or
accept the Prime Minister’s decision.
• The Prime Minister lives in an official residence
in Ottawa Ontario. The house is maintained by
the Canadian Government.

Prime Minister’s House in Ottawa,
Ontario

The Cabinet
• The Prime Minister’s Cabinet is made up of approx. 30
ministers. These ministers are chosen by the Prime
Minister from the majority party in the House of
Commons.
• The Cabinet is a powerful part of the Canadian
Government It is important because it is the executive of
the country. The Cabinet and the Prime Minister decide
the policies the Government will follow.
• Each province must be represented by at least one
minister. Each minister is given a portfolio which means
that he or she is responsible for a government
department. Each minister also has a deputy minister
who is a permanent head of the department.

Backbenchers
• Members of the governing party who are not in
the cabinet are called backbenchers because
their seats in the House of Commons are behind
those of the Cabinet Minister. Cabinet Ministers
must convince the other members of their party
in the House of Commons that the policies
proposed by the Cabinet are the right ones. The
backbenchers want to be able to support
government or Cabinet policies but they do not
want to see the party adopt policies that go
against the wishes of the people who have
elected them. This is why the proposal of new
bills and policies is a delicate operation.

Parliament
• On January 1, 1858, Queen Victoria
declared Ottawa to be the capital of
Canada.
• Barracks Hill was chosen as the site
of the future government buildings
because of its view of the Ottawa
River.
• On September 1, 1860 the Prince of
Wales laid the cornerstone.

Parliament building
• The building is made up of several different
sections including The Parliament Centre Block
that holds the House of Commons and the
Senate, the Confederation Hall which is the most
lavishly adorned, The Great Hall of Honour
which holds marble carvings that commemorate
events and distinguished Canadians, The Peace
Tower which is revered as one of the finest
gothic structures in the world. It holds 53 bells
that honor the soldiers that lost their lives in
WWI.
• There is also the Memorial Chamber, and the
gothic parliament library which holds rare bibles,
war documents, and thousands of books dating
back to 1764.

Parliament before the fire of 1916
Parliament and the Changing of the Guards
Parliament overlooking the Ottawa River

House of Commons
Senate Chambers
Above: Entrance Hal
Below: Parliament Library

Parliament
Parliament consists of the Queen
represented by the Governor General, the
Senate, and the House of Commons.
The upper house is called the Senate and
the lower house is called the House of
Commons.
Members of Parliament or of a Provincial
Legislature are normally elected for no
more than five years.

The House of Commons
 The House of Commons or Lower House has
308 seats. Members of the house are elected
by the people during an election. Each member
of the house represents a constituency (district)
of a province of territory.
 Parliament sits about 27 weeks of the year.
Sitting starts in September and usually continues
until June which breaks to permit the house
members to work in their regions or ridings.
 Parliament begins with a speech from the throne
made by the Governor General and ends by
being dissolved.

Members of Parliament
• An MP is a federal representative who represents people
who live in a voting area called a constituency. The
number of federal representatives is affected by the
changes in population.
• The MPs from all over Canada form a group called the
House of Commons. All the MPs meet in the Parliament
Building in Ottawa and talk about the country’s business
and things that affect the people.
• An good MP learns about Canada’s problems and how
to solve them. An MPs main job is to inform their
constituents about new laws and policies and how they
may affect them. They report to their constituents
through meetings, phone calls, letters, newsletters, and
often an internet website. They travel from Ottawa to
their constituency several times a year.

• Each sitting in Parliament has its own agenda.
On the agenda will be routine business,
committee reports, Minister’s Statements,
presentations of petitions, introduction of bills
and debating legislation.
• The best part of each day’s sitting is the
Question Period. Here the Members of the
House can ask the ministers all kids of question
about their departments and policies.
• Question Period can get rather heated. It is the
Speaker of the House’s job to make sure the
members of the House follow parliamentary
rules and behave themselves in the House.

Canadian Constituencies
Area Seats
Ontario 106
Quebec 75
British Columbia 36
Alberta 28
Manitoba 14
Saskatchewan 14
Nova Scotia 11
New Brunswick 10
NFLD 7
PEI 4
Northwest Territories 1
Yukon Territory 1
Nunavut 1
TOTAL 308

The Senate
 The Senate or Upper House is made up of 104
men and women. The members are appointed
by the Governor General on the
recommendation of the Prime Minister. Usually
an appointment to the Senate is given as a
reward for service to the country.
 Senators must be at least 30 to be appointed
and must retire at 75. They must reside in the
province or territory for which they are appointed
and own real estate worth $4000.

• The Senate is made up of members who have
specialized knowledge and long years of legal, business
and/or administrative experience. They may be ex-
premiers, ex- mayors, lawyers or experienced farmers.
• The Senate can initiate bills, amend bills, or reject bills
as often as they see fit. No bill can become law unless it
has been passed by the Senate. The Senate rarely
rejects bills but often makes amendment to bills passed
by the House of Commons to simplify or clarify.
• The Senate carefully examines each bill clause by
clause. It has also taken on the role investigating
important public problems such as poverty,
unemployment, inflation, the aged, land use, science
policies, aboriginal affairs, relations with the U.S, and the
efficiency (or lack of it) of government departments.

The Senate Chamber
The throne and chair in the background are used
by the queen and her consort,
or the governor general and his or her spouse, respectively,
during the opening of Parliament.
The speaker of the Senate employs the chair in front.
Senators

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