Canadas Government

Chapter 9: Citizens Effecting Change

Canada is a Constitutional Monarchy

Queen head of state Prime Minister head of govt

The Queens Representatives
Governor General represents Queen in
Canada
Julie Payette, Canadas 29th Governor
General
Since Monday! (October 2, 2017)
Businesswoman, engineer, former
astronaut (2 spaceflights)!
Lieutenant Governor represents Queen in
provinces
Judith Isabel Guichon, BCs 29th Lieutenant
Governor
Since October 1, 2012
Canadian Constitution, 1867
The Canadian Constitution outlines the roles and responsibilities of people
and government

No one is exempt from the Constitution, not even the Queen (hence we
are a constitutional monarchy)

3 Main Parts:
Description of power for provincial legislatures and Parliament
Charter of Rights and Freedoms outlines basic rights and
responsibilities
Amending formula sets out the ways the Constitution can be
changed or altered
 Warm-up Activity
KAHOOT!

Your task is to try and match the responsibility to the correct level of
government (Federal, Provincial, Municipal)

https://create.kahoot.it/#user/bc9807c5-c68e-4567-a90b-758c6c270382/kahoots/created
The Levels of Government

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C8uDuhLqvg
The Levels of Government
Federal Provincial Municipal
Mail Highways Parks
Taxes Education Parking
Money Environment Libraries
Banking Agriculture Recycling
Shipping Immigration Roadways
Railways Health care Local police
Pipelines Environment Local land use
Agriculture Transportation Fire protection
Citizenship Road regulations Emergency Services
Telephones Natural Resources Public transportation
Environment Property & civil rights Community water systems
Immigration Tourism, Parks & Recreation
Criminal law
Foreign affairs
National defense
Employment insurance
Aboriginal lands & rights
First Nations Governments

First Nations have band chiefs and councilors who have major responsibilities
on First Nations reserves, such a housing, schools and other services

There are provincial, regional

and national Aboriginal
organizations that are the
voice for First Nations, Mtis
and Inuit and their
relationships with the federal,
provincial and territorial
governments

Assembly of First Nations:

Perry Bellegarde, National
Chief
Government & Taxes

The actual work of government is carried out by civil service (also called
bureaucracy)
Civil servants organized into ministries, headed by ministers
The government gets its finances through taxes
Corporate taxes
Income taxes (graduated how much you pay relates to your income)
Ad valorem taxes (e.g. 5% GST)
Excise taxes (added to alcohol, tobacco & gas)
Payroll taxes
Property taxes
When a govt takes in more than it spends it has a surplus; when it takes in
less it runs a deficit
Three Branches of Government
Executive
Includes: Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the Queen (Gov. General)
Role: to enact and enforce the laws of the nation
Legislative
Includes: House of Commons the Senate & the Queen (Gov. General)
Role: to make laws for the governance of the nation
Judiciary
Includes: the Supreme Court of Canada and its 9 judges, the Federal
Court of Canada and the superior courts of the provinces
Role: to interpret and apply the laws made by Parliament
Parliamentary Democracy
Parliament has three parts:
The Sovereign Queen Elizabeth II (represented by Governor General)
The House of Commons The first legislative body of Parliament whose
members are elected; govt & opposition members
The Senate the second legislative body in Parliament consisting of
appointed members whose role is to give sober second thought to the
passage of bills

Canadian citizens elect political

representatives at all three levels of govt:
Federal
Provincial or Territorial
Municipal (city, town)
The Cabinet
Members appointed by Prime Minister and called ministers
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fisheries and Oceans, Justice
Cabinet initiates laws, ministers responsible for smooth running of
government and spending of public money

Cabinet ministers must display full

support for Prime Minister and
government to show cabinet solidarity

Trudeau Meter:
 Prime Minister: Justin Trudeau
23rd PM of Canada, Liberal party leader
Son of former PM, Pierre Trudeau
Graduated from McGill & UBC
Teacher in Vancouver (math, drama, French)
Taught briefly at Pinetree Secondary!

Trudeau Meter:
https://trudeaumetre.polimeter.org/

Ticket-out-the-door: Find1 promise fulfilled, 1

promise in progress and 1 promise broken
The Election Process
Dissolution Tabulating
Gov. Gen. dissolves Votes are counted and
parliament, calls an winning candidate declared
election in each riding

Enumeration Voting
National list of voters Eligible voters visit polling
compiled stations and cast vote

Nomination Campaigning
Parties choose candidates to Parties seek to increase pubic
run in each riding awareness, raise $
First Past the Post (FPTP)

Trudeau Meter:
Discussion Question: Electronic Voting
Can technology increase the effectiveness of democracy? Various
democratic courtiers around the world are exploring electronic voting via
kiosks telephone or internet. In Canada, electronic voting has occurred
at provincial and municipal levels, but not yet at the federal level.

What are some advantages and disadvantages to electronic voting?

How might electronic voting change voter participation for different age
groups?
Majority VS Minority Governments
Majority Govt the ruling party has more than half of the total number of
seats in the legislature
Holing on to power is easier

Minority Govt the ruling party has more seats than any other party, but
the other parties combined have more seats than the government
Governing party must be careful not to introduce legislation that will
not pass
Some say more democratic, others argue they cannot fully implement
policies or make important changes because they risk defeat; tend
towards status quo
40th General Election, 2008 = Minority
Minority Government
40th Canadian Parliament
November 2008 - 2010
Conservative 143 143

Liberal 77

Bloc Quebecois 49
165
New Democratic 37

Independent 2

Total 308 308

42nd General Election, 2015 = Majority

= 154
Coalitions & Mergers
Ideally, a political party has a platform that represents the pure political
views of its members
In reality, sticking to principles can mean the party never forms a govt or
becomes a significant opposition
Sometimes, several smaller parties oppose the govt but individually are
not strong enough to threaten it
They have two options:
Coalition a formal alliance of political parties; maintains identity
Merger parties join together and form a new party
British Columbias Provincial Election, 2017

41st Provincial General Election

May 2017

BC Liberal Party
43 43

BC NDP
41
44
BC Green Party
3

Read: http://vancouversun.com/news/politics/b-c-greens-and-ndp-to-hold-
announcement-about-a-new-government