WEEK 3

Parliamentary Government

Evolution

-              Canada is a federal state

-              Canada is a constitutional monarchy

-              Queen is actually our head of state but has a symbolic role in practice

-              Role and history of Governor General

-              Governor General: Mary Simon

-              Bicameral: two houses

-              3 parts: executive, backbench, opposition

-              House of Commons elected from ridings (local)

-              Senate are appointed on basis of regions

-              Supposed to provide representative government

-              In most cases, legislature’s approval is formality

Quick Overview – Key Points

What makes Decisions?

-              In Canada, the political process is driven by the executive

-              The power to make decisions lies with the Prime Minister and cabinet

-              Over time, the Prime Minister has become more powerful

-              Exclusive and legislature are fused in Canadian system

Branches of Government

House of Commons/Senate – Prime Minister and Cabinet – Court

Current Composition of House of Commons

-              Liberal 153

-              Conservative 120

-              Bloc Quebecois 33

-              NDP 25

-              Green 2

-              Independent 4

-              Vacant 1

-              A party needs at least 170 seats to have a majority government

How does Parliament work?

-              Very different from the American System

Normal Session

-              A session of parliament begins with the throne Speech

-              Adjourning and dissolving parliament

-              Prorogation of parliament

Actors and their roles

-              Members of Parliament (MP)

-              Majority vs Minority Government

-              Government vs Opposition

-              Confidence and Supply

Executive Power

-               Real decision-making is done by the Prime Minister, who is the head of the government

-              Prime minster and Cabinet dominate entire legislative agenda of parliament

-              Any money bill must be introduced by the cabinet

-              Responsible Government: a form of government in which the executive must maintain the confidence of the legislature or resign

The Cabinet

About Cabinet

-              In theory, cabinet ministers are equal but there is a pecking order

-              A cabinet minister is normally in charge of a government department

-              What is an order-in-council?

Important Questions

-              Who gets into the cabinet?

-              What is a parliamentary Secretary?

-              What is a mandate letter?

-              What id a memorandum to the Cabinet? (MC)

-              Collective vs Individual Ministerial Responsibility/Cabinet Solidarity

The Prime Minister Is…….

-              The Head of government

-              The creator of Cabinet

-              The Chief policymaker

-              The Leading play in the House of Commons

-              The Chief Diplomat

-              The Chief public persuader

-              The one who holds the power of appointment (Cabinet, Senators, Supreme Court Justices, etc.)

Who has the Power?

Support for the Prime Minster and Cabinet

-              Prime minister’s office (PMO)

-              Privy Council Office (PCO)

Where are decisions made?

-              Full Cabinet not as influential as it used to be

-              Cabinet Committees are very powerful

-              The most important cabinet committee is – The agenda Results and Communications

-              Prime Minster and senior advisors with cabinet providing advice

Cabinet Approval

1. Department

   • Provides input to the Minister.

2. Minister

   • Sends a Memorandum to Cabinet Committee.

3. Cabinet Committee

   • Prepares a report for the Cabinet.

   • Receives a briefing for the chair from the Privy Council Office.

   • Provides a briefing for the Prime Minister (PM) from the Privy Council Office.

4. Cabinet

   • Receives the committee report and a briefing for PM from the Prime Minister's Office.

Process of Cabinet Approval Summary

1. Minister Department: Begins by collaborating with other ministers and departments.

2. Cabinet Committee: Reviews and sends proposals to the Cabinet.

3. CABINET: Considers inputs from PCO/PMO/FINANCE/TBS.

4. Coordination with Treasury Board: Communicates with the Treasury Board for further approval steps.

5. Action Steps: Final decisions lead to actions such as program announcements, Orders in Council (OiC), and legislation.

Cabinet and the Bureaucracy

Individual Ministerial Responsibility

-              Cabinet minister must be able to answer to the legislature and public for their own actions as well as those within their department

-              How has this concept changed over time?

Influences on Cabinet

-              Political Neutrality of Bureaucracy

-              Legislative Control and Influence

-              Parliamentary Budget Office

-              Officers of Parliament

Example – Tori Stafford

-              Terri-Lynne McClintic was convicted in the murder of Tori Stafford

-              Transferred from maximum security to an Indigenous healing lodge

-              Decision sparks outrage

Parliamentary Government

How does the House of Commons function?

-              What is the workload for an MP?

-              Role of the Speaker

-              Question Period

-              Opposition Critics and Shadow Cabinet

-              House of Commons Committees

-              Speaker of the House Greg Fergus

The Senate

A Constant Issue in Canada

-              Originally designed to provide regional representation

-              Members are appointed by Prime Minister

-              Can serve until age 75

-              Scandal and possible reforms? (Triple-E senate)

Court Government

Definition

-              A great deal of power appears to be placed in hands of the prime minister and a select group of counsellors – who reside inside and outside of the government

-              Does this create a democratic deficit? A question we will discuss in