Governance & Politics Flashcards
What consists of the written part of the Canadian Constitution?
The Constitution Act of 1867
The Constitution Act of 1982
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
What consists of the unwritten part of the Canadian Constitution?
Made up of traditions such as:
- Recognition of the Monarch as Head of State
- Office of the Prime Minister
- Political Parties
- Election Actions
What are the three Branches of Canadian Government?
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch
What does the Legislative Branch do?
It has the power to make and amend laws
- House of Commons, Senate, Monarch
What does the Executive Branch do?
It administers the country and carries out law
- Prime Minister, the Cabinet
What does the Judicial Branch do?
It decides who has broken the law and the punishment for doing so and interprets laws
- Supreme, Federal, Provincial Courts
Who is Canada’s current Governor General?
Mary Simons
How many senators does Canada have and how many represent Saksatchewan
105 total senators, 6 represent Saskatchewan
How many judges are in Canada and who is the Chief Justice?
9, Richard Wagner is the Chief Justice
What are Canada’s 3 levels of Government?
Federal Government
Provincial Government
Municipal Government
What are things the Federal Government takes care of?
Postal Service
Passports
Currency
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
National Defence
Migration
What are things the Provincial Government takes care of?
Education
Driver’s License
Healthcare
Highways
Drinking Age
What are things the Municipal Government takes care of?
Recycling / Garbage
City Streets
Fire Fighting
City Police
City Transit
What political party is the Prime Minister from?
The Liberal Party
What party is the Official Opposition and who is the leader of that party?
The Conservative Party
Pierre Poilievre
What are Canada’s other Opposition Parties?
The NDP (Jagmeet Singh)
The Bloc Quebecois (Yves Blonchett)
The Green Party (Elizabeth May)
Who is our representative in Ottawa and what is the electoral district?
Andrew Scheer, Regina-Qu’appelle
Who is Saskatchewan’s Lieutenant-Governor?
Russ Mirasty
Who is Saskatchewan’s Premier?
Scott Moe (Saskatchewan Party)
Who is our provincial opposition leader?
Carla Beck of PNDP
Who is our provincial representative?
Mark Dotchtry (Regina-Coronation Park)
Who is the head of Regina’s Municipal Gobernment?
Sandra Masters
What are the roles of the Prime Minister
Head of Government
National Leader
Political Party Leader
What roles does the Prime Minister have as the Head of Government?
- Asks GG to appoint new judges and senators
- Asks GG to call an election every 5 years
- Chooses cabinet ministers
What roles does the Prime Minister have as the National Leader?
- Addresses Canadian on issues of national concern
- Represents Canada while visiting other nations
- Speaks on behalf of all Canadians at international meetings
- Works with provincial premiers
What roles does the Prime Minister have as the Party Leader?
- Acts as a national spokesperson for the party
- Leads the party caucus in Parliament
What functions does the Canadian Senate serve?
- Legislation (ensures that the interests senators represent have been considered within the House of Commons)
- Deliberation (senators can use the senate as a place of debate and discussion on concerns, issues, and grievances)
- Investigation (inquiring on major issues causes the senate to acquire information from both ministers and the public that can influence changes to government policy)
What criticisms exist regarding the senate?
- Dominated by Quebec and Ontario; concerns of Western and Atlantic provinces not properly addressed
- Senators should be elected, not appointed
- Poor attendance, waste of money
- Senators should more closely represent the cultural diversity of Canada
- Senators should represent the population distribution among provinces
- Senators are recommended by the Prime Minister
What is a Triple ‘E’ senate?
Representation of the senate would be more proportional to provincial population
- Elected, equal, effective
What is the role of the Official Opposition?
- Give voters an alternative to the current government in the next election
- Leader leads opposition debates and suggests changes to government legislation or alternative proposals
- Opposition critics handles certain subjects and are referred to as a Shadow Cabinet
How does a bill become a law?
- Cabinet Initiation
- First Reading
- Second Reading
- Committee
- Report
- Third Reading
- Goes through other House
- Royal Assent
What is Caninet Initiation?
A Member of Parliament comes up with an idea for a law
What the First Reading?
The new law or amendment is read
What is the Second Reading
Parliamentarians debate the idea behind the bill and consider important questions
What is the Committee?
Members hold hearings or special meetings where different people inside and outside the government make comments on the bill
What is the Report?
The committee reports the bill to the House where parliamentarians debate it - people not part of the committee can suggest changes
What is the Third Reading?
Parliamentarians debate the changed bill and may or may not vote for the bill if they do not accept those changes
What happens after the Third Reading?
The bill goes through the other house (either the House of Commons or the Senate) and must be voted on
What is Royal Assent?
Once both houses have passed the bill in exactly the same wording, the bill is given to the Governor General or Lieutenant-Governor for its final approval before becoming law
What are the political parties of Canada?
Current:
- Liberal Party
- Progressive Conservative Party
- New Democratic Party
- Bloc Quebecois
- Green Party
Historical:
- Social Credit Party
- Reform Party
