Issue 1: Canada’s Federal
Government
TOPICS COVERED:
THE NEED FOR GOVERNMENT
BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT AND THE LAWMAKING PROCESS
BODIES OF GOVERNMENT
ROLE OF POLITICAL PARTIES, MEDIA AND
LOBBY GROUPS
Why government?
 The government is the body with power to make
decisions for a society.
 All societies have some form of government. They
have some way to establish and enforce rules.
Why government?
 Without government, society would be in a state of
anarchy (disorder, chaos).
 Government establishes order.
 Government provides services to those whom they
govern.
 Canadians live in a democracy. In democracies
citizens determine who governs, and citizens have a
high degree of participation and influence in how
their society is run.
Chapter One: How effectively does Canada’s federal
political system govern Canada for all Canadians?
 Let’s begin exploring this question by reading the
following:
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page 16 of our textbook, Issues for Canadians
the comic on page 21
Canada’s Constitution (1982)
 The Canadian Constitution is the ‘rule book’ for how
our nation is governed:
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The structure of our government
The Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Separation of powers amongst the federal and
provincial/territorial governments
Ways to amend the constitution
 From 1867-1982, the British North America Act was
our ‘rule book.’ This was a British law and could only
be amended through British government.
Canada’s Constitution (1982)
 The Constitution Act 0f 1982 released our
constitution from British law, and included various
amendments, notably the Charter of Rights and
Freedoms.
 Read page 22 for an additional overview of the
constitution and the branches of government.
The Executive Branch
 Read the cartoon on page 23 of your textbook.
 Who is part of The Executive Branch?
 What does the cabinet do? Who decides which MPs (members
of parliament) join the cabinet?
The Executive Branch
 The part of government responsible for putting laws
into action.
 Includes the Prime Minister (PM) and the
cabinet.
 To become the PM, you must:
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Be elected as leader of a political party (see bottom of pg. 24)
Be elected as a member of parliament
Your party must win the most seats in the House of Commons
(pg. 27)
The Executive Branch
 The cabinet are appointed by the PM.
 Cabinet ministers (those part of the cabinet) are
given portfolios (responsibilities) by the PM.
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Departments and Agencies (pg. 25)
 The cabinet proposes most of the ideas which
become laws.
 The PM and the cabinet run the everyday business of
the government.
 What factors do you think the PM takes into
account when appointing members of the
cabinet?
The Governor General
 The Governor General is the Queen’s representative in
Canada. The Governor General usually serves five years.
 The Queen appoints the Governor General on the advice of
the Prime Minister.
 Role of the Governor General (besides representing the
British Monarchy)
 ensure that Canada always has a Prime Minister. For
example, if no party had a clear majority after an election,
or if the Prime Minister were to die in office, the
Governor General would have to choose a successor.
The Governor General
 The Governor General acts
on the advice of the Prime
Minister and Cabinet.
 The duties of the Governor
General include the
following:
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summoning, opening and
ending sessions of Parliament
reading the Speech from the
Throne
giving Royal Assent to bills
signing state documents
dissolving Parliament for an
election.
The Legislative Branch (Canada’s parliament)
 The legislative branch is the part of government that
makes laws.
 It includes the House of Commons, the Senate and
the governor general.
The House of Commons
 The major law-making body in Canada’s federal political
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system.
The members of the House of Commons debate, study
and vote on laws proposed for Canada.
Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected by voters.
MPs represent the voters of one riding, or district.
MPs are usually members of a political party.
The political party with the most MPs form the
government, which the other parties for the opposition.
Representation in the House of Commons is by
population.
Who forms the government?
 Read page 28 of your textbook and answer the
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following questions:
Why are ‘seats’ important in the House of Commons
Explain the difference between a majority
government and a minority government.
Do we have a majority or a minority government
today?
Examine the political cartoon projected on the white
board.
Role of the Opposition
 The opposition keeps the government ‘in check’
 During question period, the opposition question the
PM and cabinet regarding government decisions.
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Shadow cabinet
 They create debate, act as watchdog and speak for
the different views and perspectives of Canadians.
Members of Parliament
 Two main responsibilities:
 Represent their constituents
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Constituent: someone who lives in a riding and is represented by
an elected official from that riding
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Create legislation
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Read “How do MPs see their role” on pg 29.
How are MPs elected?
 A candidate must win the most votes.
 They DO NOT need the majority of votes (50% or
more).
 Popular vote: the total votes cast in an election as
opposed to the total seats won in an election.
 By looking at the information on page 30, answer the
following question:
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What impact does the popular vote have on the results of an
election?
The Senate
 Role: To provide “sober second thought”—careful
reconsideration—to all proposed legislation.
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Further study and debate on laws
A bill cannot become law until both the House of Commons
and the Senate passes it.
 Members are called senators
 The PM appoints senators (however, Stephen Harper
would like this to change)
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They can remain in office until age 75.
PM usually appoints people who support the PM’s party
The Senate
 Represent the interests and rights of Canada’s
regions, especially minorities. Helps ensure that
minorities still have a strong voice within Canada.
 The Senate can propose laws, but cannot propose
laws which create or spend taxes.
 A bill must be passed by both the Senate and the
House of Commons to become law.
 The Senate can reject laws from the House of
Commons, although the Senate rarely uses this
power.
The Senate
 Read pages 32-33 of your textbook and answer the
following questions:
 Why might Canadians have different views and
perspectives on the role of the Senate in Canada’s
political system? What evidence can you find on this
page? (pg. 32)
 How does the structure of the Senate represent
Canadians in a different way than the House of
Commons? How does this structure help the Senate
act in the interests of regions and minority groups?
The Judicial Branch
 Let’s read the cartoon on page 34 of your textbook.
 Judicial branch: the branch of government that interprets and
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applies the law by making legal judgments.
The Judicial Branch includes Canada’s courts of law.
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court in the
nation. It has the final word on legal questions in the country.
The Judicial branch is separate from the other branches and
checks on their powers.
It interprets and applies all law in Canada, including rights, so
it has the important responsibility for making sure the rights
of Canadians are upheld and respected.
Supreme Court Judges
 Members of the judicial branch come from the legal
profession.
 Members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the
PM and the Cabinet.
 The Supreme Court consists of 9 judges:
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One chief justice
Eight puisine judges