Canadian Government Structure Overview

Canadian Government Structure

• Canada's government is governed by the British North America Act, establishing a federal and provincial system with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

Executive Branch

• The Prime Minister (PM) holds significant power, though the Queen is the formal head of state.
• The PM leads a cabinet of ministers, developing and proposing legislation.
• The PM appoints cabinet ministers and other key positions.
• The Prime Minister's Office is a vital part of the executive branch, often acting as a biased (partisan) source of influence.

Legislative Branch

• Also known as Parliament, it includes the House of Commons, the Senate, and the Governor General.
• The House of Commons has elected Members of Parliament (MPs) representing specific constituencies.
• MPs debate and vote on bills proposed by the cabinet, working to represent their constituents.
• The House of Commons operates bilingually and represents regions proportionally based on population.
• The Senate is comprised of appointed Senators and represents regional interests, second-guessing/reviewing bills originating in the House of Commons.

Judicial Branch

• The judicial branch consists of various courts (provincial, federal, tax, supreme).
• It interprets and applies laws, safeguarding rights and providing final judgment on legal cases.
• The Supreme Court of Canada, established in 1875, replaced the Privy Council and became Canada’s highest appeal court.
• The court has 9 judges (justices), with representation from various regions, and justices serve until age 75 with a minimum of 10 years of prior court experience.
• The Governor General appoints justices through an advisory process with the PM and Cabinet.
• Courts are closed during the summer months.

Bill Process (Legislation)

• Bills originate in the House of Commons, progressing through stages: first reading (introduction), second reading (debate), committee stage (amendments), report stage (report on amendments), and third reading (final debate and vote).
• Senate follows a similar process, potentially proposing amendments to House bills.
• Bills require Royal Assent (approval by the Governor General) to become law.

Types of Bills

• Public bills, initiated by the government, impact the public (e.g., healthcare).
• Private member bills, introduced by individual MPs or Senators, affect specific groups.
• Private bills are proposed by petitions, impacting only those directly concerned.

Electoral System

• Canada utilizes the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system for elections, with a party winning a majority of seats forming the government.
• Other systems like Proportional Representation aim for a more accurate representation but may lack stability.

Lobbyists

• Lobbyists aim to influence MPs on bills and represent the interests of groups.
• Lobbyists are required to register with the Commissioner of Lobbying.

Federal Accountability Act (FAA)

• The FAA (2016) mandates documentation of lobbyists' contacts.
• Promotes transparency in lobbying procedures.

Media and Politics

• The Parliamentary Press Gallery provides diverse media coverage of parliament activities.
• Media plays a role in presenting politicians and their policies.
• Attack and political advertisements are part of the political process.

Mis/Disinformation

• Mis/disinformation involves false or misleading information, including fabricated, manipulated, imposter, misleading, false context, parody, and deepfake content.

Glossary

• Key terms related to government, governance, and political processes are defined.