Governance in Canada

• Canadian citizens are governed by three levels of government in Canada. These are:

• Municipal • Provincial • Federal

• Each level of government has different responsibilities, yet cooperation between levels of government is common when dealing with significant issues such as health care, and immigration.

Political terms

• Democracy – means government by the people.• Representative Democracy – form of

government in which individuals are chosen to represent a riding, constituency or group.

• Ridings/Constituencies – an area that is represented in parliament.

• Representatives – individuals elected by voters to represent a geographic area in government.

• Constituents – people who live in a riding or a constituency.

Political terms Continued..

• Federal Government – national government dealing with concerns of the nation as a whole.

• Provincial Government – government dealing with the concerns of the province.

• Municipal Government – a form of local council, concerned with looking after local matters under the direction of the provincial government.

• Elections – the process of voting for representatives, open in Canada to all citizens 18 years of age or older.

• Candidates – individuals who run in an election, hoping to become the elected representative for the riding.

• Political Party – an organized group formed by individuals who have similar views on public issues.

Political terms Continued..

• Ministers – members of parliament/assembly selected to be part of the cabinet.

• Prime Minister – leader of the largest party in the House of Commons, which forms the

federal government.• Premier – leader of the largest party in the

assembly, which forms the provincial government.

Political terms Continued..

• Opposition – members of parliament who do not belong to the governing party.

• Caucus – the members of parliament or assembly in the same party.

• Cabinet – selected members of parliament from the governing party responsible for the most major decisions; members of the cabinet, called “ministers,” must have the support of the majority of the elected representatives in order to govern.

Political terms Continued..

Three branches of government in Canada

Responsibilities of the Federal Government

• Trade and Commerce • Taxation • Postal Service • National Defense • Penitentiaries • Sea Coasts • Inland Fisheries • Criminal Law • Banking • Weights and Measures • Patents and Copyright • First Nations/Aboriginal Affairs • Currency • International Affairs

Provincial Responsibilities • Property and Civil Rights • All Provincial Agencies • Direct Taxation • Sales of Public Land • Natural Resources • Municipal Affairs • Administration of Justice • Prison System • Hospitals • Licenses • Local Works • All matters of Local and Private Nature • •

Municipal Government

• - Snow removal• - Garbage removal• - Fire protection• - Local police• - Water supply• - Sewage• - Public transit• - Recreational facilities• - Streets• - Streetlights

What is Politics?

• Politics is the way in which we organize ourselves so that the members of our society can live together in peace and security;

• Our society is made up of many groups with different values and concerns.

• Politics is the system we have for working out a balance among the interests of different groups in our society. Our political system gives each of these groups a variety of ways to make their concerns felt.

Government in Our Lives

• Canada is governed as a democracy. Democracy means government by the people.

• In our culture, one of the strongest values that we share is the right of people to participate in the way they are governed. Because people, do differ -governments must respond in many different ways.

• We have a federal government based in Ottawa to deal with the concerns of the nation as a whole.

• We have a provincial government that addresses more regional concerns.

• We also have municipal governments that look after local matters under the direction and authority of the provincial government.

Government in Our Lives• The politicians who work at all of these levels of government

represent the people that elected them to their positions. • Our system of government is based on the principle of

representative democracy. • Canada is divided up into areas called ridings or constituencies. The

voters in each riding elect one person to represent them at each of the various levels of government.

• Representatives elected to the federal level of government are called Members of Parliament (MPs).

• In the Maritimes, representatives to the provincial legislature are called Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

• Representatives to municipal governments are usually called councilors.

• All of these representatives make decisions in government based on the wished and needs of their constituents– the people who live in their riding.

The House of Commons

• There are 308 elected members in the House of Commons.

• • 11 members are from Nova

Scotia • • The House of Commons is

in Ottawa, Ontario • • The Conservative Party has

a minority Government.

PARTY STANDINGS40th Parliament

Province / Territory C.P.C.

Lib. B.Q.N.D.P

.Ind.

Vacant

Total

Alberta 27     1     28

British Columbia 22 5   9     36

Manitoba 9 1   4     14

New Brunswick 6 3   1     10

Newfoundland and Labrador   6   1     7

Nova Scotia 4 5   2     11

Nunavut 1           1

Ontario 51 38   17     106

Prince Edward Island 1 3         4

Quebec 11 14 48 1 1   75

Saskatchewan 13 1         14

Northwest Territories       1     1

Yukon   1         1

TOTAL 145 77 48 37 1   308

For further information, contact the Journals Branch - 613-992-2038  

Last Update: November 23, 2009

The Senate

• The Senate is one of the two houses of the legislature of Canada.

•

• Senators are appointed by the Governor-General.