Government in Canada
Levels
- federal
- provincial (territorial)
- municipal (local)
The responsibilities of the federal and provincial governments were first defined in 1867 in the British North American Act.
Federal Responsibilities
- national defense
- foreign policy
- citizenship
Provincial/Territorial Responsibilities
- education
- health care
- highways
Municipal (local) Responsibilities
- policing
- firefighting
- snow removal
- recycling programs
The Parliament of Canada
Canada is a parliamentary democracy. (Forsey and others maintain it is a constitutional monarchy. Some agendas may need to be re-hemmed here.)
Breakdown
- The Queen
- House of Commons
- Senate
The Queen is the Head of State, and the Governor-General is her representative.
Members of Parliament are elected representatives of the common people. They form the House of Commons.
Senators are chosen by the Prime Minister and appointed by the Governor-General.
The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party with the most elected MPs sitting in the House of Commons.
Making Laws
Proposed legislation is called a bill. Bills must be formally read and studied a set number of times, then approved by majority vote of both House and Senate, and then approved by the Governor-General.
Other Levels of Government
Each provincial & territorial government has an elected legislature known as one of the following:
- Legislative Assembly (MLA)
- National Assembly (MNA)
- Provincial Parliament (MPP)
- House of Assembly (MHA)
(in the above, 'M' stands for 'Member'.)
British Columbia has a Legislative Assembly.
Municipal
Laws created by municipal govenments are known as by-laws and affect only the local community.
Municipal governments typically consist of a Mayor and Town Council.
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