Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is Canada’s Constitution?
It is basically a rule book for Canada that describes governance in Canada. It outlines all the rights civil and human rights of Canadians
What are the Branches of Government?
- The Legislative Branch
- The Executive Branch
- The Judicial Branch
(There is also the Monarch aka Governor General)
What is the Monarch of Britain?
It represents Britain and their involvement in Canada. The king/queen are the formal head of state, and they are represented by the Governor General. The governor General is apart of the executive and legislative branch.
What is the Executive Branch?
The executive branch has the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. They are in charge of running programs and services in Canada while also running the day to day job of Canada.
What are the steps to become a Prime Minister?
- You must be elected to be a leader of your political party
- You must be elected as a member of parliament
- Your party must win the election
What is the Cabinet and who chooses them?
The Cabinet includes people that are in charge of different government departments or portfolios of Canada
(Cabinet Ministers also must be a member of parliament or a senator in order to be eligible)
Who decides what departments or portfolios are added to the political party?
The Prime Minister decides policies to include in the Political Party and its departments.
What is the Legislative Branch?
The Legislative Branch is the law making branch of Canada’s Government. It is made up of the Governor General, Senate, and the House of Commons.
What is the House of Commons?
It is the law making body where members of parliament can debate, study, and vote on laws .
What are the roles of MP
- Represent their riding or constituency
- Create legislation for peace, order, and good government
What are the role of Senators?
The role of Senators are to represent their region and protect the interests of minorities
-They make sure all voices are heard in Canada
What is the Judicial Branch?
This branch is Canada’s court of law.
What is in the Judicial Branch?
The judicial branch contains:
-The Supreme Court
-Lower Courts in Canada
What is the Supreme Court?
It is the highest court in Canada that has final word in all legal questions in Canada. It is separate from the other branches because it acts as a check of power. It interprets and implies all law in Canada to whoever is being questioned no matter their status.
How Many Judges are on the Supreme Court?
-Quebec(3)
-Ontario(3)
-Western Canada(2)
-Maritimes(1)
9 in total
What is the process of a Bill becoming a law
For a bill to become a law in Canada it goes through a specific process that is:
First reading
Second reading
Committee Stage
Report Stage
Third Reading
What is the First Reading?
It is when all members in the house of commons get a physical copy of the bill and there is no debate or vote. Members of Parliament take these and read them
What is the Second Reading?
This is where there a debate and vote on the bill to move on is made. Does the Bill serve the best interest of Canada and its citizens?
What is the Committee Stage?
This is where there is a detailed study of the bill. A committee of MP’s pr senators will review the bill with the witnesses including experts and citizens.
What is the Report Stage?
This is where a debate and a vote on changes to the bill are made. This is the stage where if MP’s think that the bill should be amended(changed) then they will vote on how they see fit.
What is the Third Reading?
This is where the final debate and vote on the Amended Bill is made, and if the bill makes it past this stage it will then go onto the Senate where they will go through the same process
What is the Parliamentary Press Gallery?
This is an association of reporters who cover the decision about actions of Canada’s Government. The press gallery includes about 350 reporters from media outlets across Canada
What are Lobbyists?
This is someone who is hired by a group to influence MP’s and Government officials.
They persuade the MP’s in decision makings in Government.
