GovernmentSocial Studies 11 Tutorial

What is Included in This Presentation

• Foundation of Canadian Government• Structure of Canada’s government• Parliamentary System• How Bills are passed• The Electoral System

Foundation of Canadian Government

• Representative Democracy– Allows elected representatives to make decisions

on behalf of citizens living in their respective ridings/constituencies

• Constitutional Monarchy– Queen/King Head of State– Governor General the Queen’s representative– Crucial safeguard of our democracy– Holds powers of the Crown

Foundation of Canadian Government

• Canadian Constitution – Supreme Law of the land– Canada has both a written and unwritten Constitution:

• Written Constitution – Has three main components: Powers of the federal

and provincial governments; the Charter of Rights and Freedoms; Amending Formula (7 of 10 provinces with 50% of population

• Unwritten Constitution– Consists of other rules, practices concerning roles and

functions of Parliament

Foundations of Canadian Government

• Federal System: An organization of regional gov’ts (provincial) each acting on behalf of its own residents with a central gov’t in Ottawa

• Powers are divided between the federal and provincial gov’ts (from 1867)

• Residual Powers: all new areas of decision making that did not exist in 1867 were given to the federal gov’t

Duties of the GovernmentsFederal

• National Defence• Foreign Policy• Aboriginal Affairs• Postal Services• Banking Systems• Marriage/Divorce• Criminal Law• Federal Prisons

Provincial• Education• Charities• Health

Services/Hospitals• Licences• Highways• Provincial Courts• Provincial

Police/Prisons

Federal & Provincial Shared Responsibilities

• Immigration• Agriculture• Health Care• Natural Resources• Environmental Issues

Parliamentary System• Powers of the government are divided

into three branches:– Legislative Branch: Has the power to

make and amend laws– Executive Branch: has the power to

administer and carry out laws– Judicial Branch: Has power to decide who

has broken the law and to set out penalties

Legislative Branch

• Composed of the Governor General, House of Commons and the Senate

• These parts of the Legislative Branch make up Parliament

• Parliament: – Meets at least once a year (session)– Passes, amends, and repeals laws– Debates issues of concern– Opposition parties challenge gov’t actions

Parliament: The House of Commons

• Also known as the Lower House– Elected members called Members of Parliament

(MP’s) • Elected at minimum every five years from their riding

(100,000 people) or constituency– Debates in House of Commons are run/controlled

by Speaker of House– Opposition parties (including official opposition) sit

opposite the governing party & scrutinize the action of the ruling gov’t

Parliament: How MP’s Vote

• Political parties hold private meetings called a Caucus where they can voice their own view/views of constituents

• All MP’s are expected to show cabinet solidarity and vote the same way in House of Commons

• Sometimes a Prime Minister can call a Free Vote: MP’s can vote to what they best believe in or what their constituents best believe.

Parliament: Senate• Also known as the Upper House• 105 Appointed Seats• Main role is to provide final check on legislation passed

in the H. of C.• Can introduce/debate/pass bills, but very rare• Offer a sober second thought to bills passed in the

House of Commons• Appointed by patronage• Supposed to have regional representation• Some believe Senate should be abolished or reformed

(Triple-E Senate: Effective, Elected, Equal)

Executive Branch• Consists of Governor General, Cabinet, and

Public Service• Governor General:

– Gives formal assent to a bill before it becomes law– Performs ceremonial functions– Advisor to gov’t

• Prime Minister– Head of Government, leader of the nation, and

leader of national party

Executive Branch

• Includes the governor general, the prime minister, the cabinet and public service

• Governor General: gives formal assent to a bill before it comes law, performs ceremonial functions and acts as an advisor to government

• Prime Minister: leader of the political party with most elected representatives, is the head of government, the national leader and party leader

Executive Branch

• Cabinet: Made up of elected party members, but who are appointed by the Prime Minister – Responsible for a particular government department

(IE: Defence, finance)– Must show Cabinet Solidarity in public– Has a party whip to ensure members are present to

vote in legislature • Powers of PM and Cabinet extend beyond the

executive level. They also hold legislative power because they introduce bills that eventually become law

Executive Branch

• Public Service: Civil service or bureaucracy– On-going business of government.– Duties include things such as gathering

statistics, writing details for new laws

How a Bill Becomes Law• A Bill or proposed law can be introduced by any member of the

cabinet• If a member is not in the cabinet, then it is known as a private

members bill• A bill goes through three readings:

– First Reading: introduction to the H.of C. No debate occurs here

– Second Reading: Principle behind the bill is debated extensively by H.of C.

– Third Reading: If accepted, goes to Senate for Sober Second Thought. If approved, then given to GG for formal/Royal assent. Bill is signed and becomes law

Provincial GovernmentMade up of the following:• Premier• Lieutenant Governor• Legislature• Members of Legislative Assembly

(MLA’s) or MPP’s

Canada’s Electoral System• First Past the Post: Winner of a riding does

not need to win by a majority. They simply need more votes then anyone else.

• Proportional Representation: voters support a candidate on the basis of the party he or she represents. The number of seats a party wins is based on the total number of votes it receives

Canada’s Electoral System• Federal and Provincial gov’ts hold

elections at least every 5 years• PM can choose at time that is

convenient for his/her party (high popularity numbers)

• PM can also be forced to dissolve gov’t if major bill is defeated in the House of Commons

Canada’s Electoral System• When PM chooses or is forced to hold an

election, he/she asks Governor General to dissolve parliament

• Canadians do not vote directly for their PM, rather they vote for a candidate to represent their riding or constituency

• Party that has the most elected MP’s forms the next government.

• Leader of this party becomes the PM

Canada’s Electoral System

• Canada’s elections have six stages:Dissolution: the session of the House of Commons comes to an

endEnumeration: Chief Electoral Officer prepares the nation’s voter

listNomination: Candidates are selected for each party in each riding

(geographic areas representing approx. 100,000 people)Campaigning: Candidates make speeches, promote their party

platform, hold meetingsBalloting: Voters go to polling stations to vote for candidate of

their choiceTabulation: Votes are counted

Three Types of Elected Governments

• Majority Government - one party wins more than half of the seats in parliament and forms the government.

• Minority Government - the party that wins the most seats in an election where no party wins a majority.

• Coalition Government: When two or more of the opposition parties combine together to form more seats then the elected government. Will choose a PM from the parties involved in the coalition

Political Spectrum

Political Parties• Have certain ideologies they base their political

platform on.• Act as a way of representing the views of Canadians• Long standing federal political parties: Conservative

and Liberal parties – Others include the NDP, Bloc Quebecois– Former Canadian Alliance; Reform Party

• Provincial Liberal and Conservative parties may not have same type of ideologies as federal liberal and conservative parties

Influencing Government• Pressure Groups: made up of people

who share a certain viewpoint and want to change/influence gov’t

• Lobbyists: someone who is paid to represent the interests of a particular group to key decision makers

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Human Rights Legislation in Canada:• Former PM John Diefenbaker passed the

Canadian Bill of Rights in 1960• In 1982 Canadian rights were entrenched into

our legal system when the Charter of Rights and Freedoms became part of the new Canadian Constitution

Since 1982 Canadians have had the right to challenge in court any law they believe violates their rights as specified in the Charter

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

The following sections make up the Charter:

• Fundamental Freedoms:– Freedom of conscience and religion– Freedom of thought, belief, opinion and

expression– Peaceful freedom of assembly– Freedom of association

Charter of Rights and Freedoms

• Democratic Rights – Every citizen in Canada has the right to vote in a

municipal, provincial or federal election• Mobility Rights

– Every Citizen of Canada has the right to enter, remain in or leave Canada

– Every citizen has the right to move and take up residence in any province

Charter of Rights and Freedoms

• Legal Rights:– The right to life, liberty and security of the

person– The right to be secure against

unreasonable search and seizure– To be informed of the reasons why they

have been arrested or detained– To be presumed innocent until proven

guilty

Charter of Rights and Freedoms

• Equality Rights: – Every individual is equal before and under the law

regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex age or mental or physical disability

• Language Rights– English and French are the official

languages of Canada and are equal in status in their use in all institutions and parliament and government of Canada