Issues for Canadians

Chapter 1How effectively does Canada’s federal political

system govern Canada for all Canadians?

A Constitutional Democracy

Government makes the news because, every day, its decisions affect the quality of life of Canadians.

Canada has several levels of government, including local and provincial government, and the federal government.

Canada’s Constitution

Canada’s constitution is the law that describes governance in Canada.

It sets out the role of the governor general, and the different roles of the three branches of government. It describes how the three branches of government work together to exercise the decision-making authority of government.

The constitution also sets out other important institutions in Canada, such as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Monarch of Britain represented in Canada by the Governor

General Britain’s queen or king is the formal head of

state in Canada, but does not play an active role in Canada’s government.

The Governor General represents Britain’s monarchy in Canada, and is part of both the executive and legislative branches of government.

The Executive Branch Includes the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Proposes most laws Puts laws into action Runs the day to day business of the

government

Legislative Branch Includes the House of Commons and the

Senate Makes laws (writes them after they are

proposed) Represents the interests and rights of

Canada’s regions Our MP’s make up the House of Commons

Judicial Branch Includes the Supreme Court of Canada and

Provincial or Territorial courts They apply and interpret laws

Executive branch The Prime Minister is the head of Canada’s

government. To become Prime Minister, you must be

elected as the leader of a political party. Then, you must be elected as a Member of

Parliament, and the party you lead must win the most seats in the House of Commons.

Therefore, we don’t directly get to vote for our PM!

The Cabinet The PM gets to select people (MP’s or

Senators) to run one of the departments (like health or environment)

Naturally he/she will choose people from his/her party

They are called Cabinet Ministers, and advise the PM and usually propose new laws for consideration, and run the day to day business of government.

What’s a political party?

A political party is a group of people who have similar ideas about how government should respond to issues facing society.

They put forward candidates in elections and seek to form the government.

Each party develops policies, based on the shared values of its members, to respond to issues.

Canada has a variety of political parties because Canadians have different views and perspectives about what’s best for them and for Canada

Legislative branch Also known as Parliament Members of the House of Commons and the Senate

study and vote on bills (proposed laws) We elect MP’s through local elections to represent

their riding (people who live in their district) The political party which elects the most MP’s run the

government (and their party leader becomes PM) The party which elects the 2nd most MP’s is “the

opposition” Both English and French are used in the proceedings

Electoral vote vs Popular vote

It is possible for a party to get the most individual votes but still lose an election. In fact it recently happened in the USA.

To win the election, a party must win the most ridings, regardless of popular (total) votes cast

We will look at an example! This can be confusing, so keep asking questions until you understand it! It will be on the PAT.

Majority vs Minority gov’t

The party that wins the most ridings will form the gov’t. 51% or more of the MP’s=majority gov’t

If they have more than ½ of the MP’s they can usually pass new laws without difficulty, because even if the other parties oppose the law they can still win the vote. So an advantage of a majority gov’t is that they can get more done. A disadvantage would be that minority voices can be ignored.

If they have less than ½ of the MP’s then it is more difficult to pass laws, but requires cooperation between the parties which usually benefits more people. (Minority gov’t)

Popular Vote vs Electoral Vote

Popular vote is the total votes cast in an election.

Electoral vote is the number of seats won in an election.

Canada’s gov’t is determined by ELECTORAL VOTE

The Senate Senators are appointed by the PM They represent regional interests The Senate gives “sober second thought” to

bills, after the House of Commons has already done so.

A bill cannot become a law until it passes in both houses

Some Canadians feel the Senate is a waste of time and money

The Federal Accountability Act

Ensures responsible and accountable spending by the gov’t

Protects “whistle blowers” (people who inform of wrongdoing inside their organization)

Ensures information is given about lobbyist activities

Lobbyists are paid to represent someone’s interests and attempt to influence politicians

How a Bill becomes Law

ABbill (proposed law) must first be passed in the House of Commons

It then must be passed in the Senate Once these steps have happened the Bill will

receive “Royal Assent” (The Governor General signs it into law because he/she has to)

What about FNMI? Aboriginal peoples were not consulted when

the British North America (BNA) Act was written

It made FN “the responsibility” of the gov’t. It did not mention Metis or Inuit at all.

FNMI have been campaigning for their rights ever since, but there are still some who believe FNMI are excluded from Canada’s political system.

Can people be represented by a government that excludes their opinion?

Watchdogs The media act as “watchdogs”. They watch

and report on what is happening in the gov’t. Media includes newspapers, magazines, film,

radio, tv, the internet, books and billboards. It is almost impossible to present anything

without bias (a preconceived opinion which influences how a story is told).