Parliament Flashcards

1
Q

Institutions of the Canadian State

A

Constitution - charter

Federalism

Parliament

  • crown
  • senate
  • commons

Executive

  • PM
  • Cabinet

Public service

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2
Q

Crown

A

S. 9 BNA: Executive power vested in Queen

S. 41 (a) Constitution Act 1982 change requires Unanimity
-every province and the fed HofC must agree before any changes are made

GG represents British Monarch

Canadian attitudes split on subject

  • whether we should have a crown or not
  • doesn’t really matter because the constitutionally methods to get rid of it would be too much
  • Quebec is least fond of the British Monarchy
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3
Q

The Executive: Major Theme

A

Executives are the organizational centre of political systems

Executives have two sets of duties:
1. The performance of ceremonial duties (performed by GG)

  1. The provision of political leadership
    - performed by PM and Cabinet
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4
Q

The Executive Branch

A

Executive - responsible for implementing the laws made by the legislature

head of state

  • symbolizes the unity of the state
  • queen of GG representing the queen
  • U.S = president

The constitution
-Mat give a head of state important and effective political powers

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5
Q

Ceremonial Executive

A

Parliamentary govt separates head of state and head of govt

Head of state (GG0 performs ceremonial functions as well as political ones

  • divorced from electoral or partisan motivations
  • unifying symbol
  • Guardian of constitution
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6
Q

The formal executive in Canada: the GG

A

Julie Payette was appointed in 2017

  • represents monarch - formal head of state
  • appointed position; alternates between English and French
  • GG has little to no practical input into politics
  • Many ceremonial duties
  • Following British tradition GG (the queen) must follow advice of advisors

The monarch is represented in each province by a Leftenant-governor

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7
Q

Appointment of GG

A

1867-1890 solely British colonial office

1890-1926 British Colonial office in Consultation

1926 PM recommendation to Queen

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8
Q

Removal of GG

A

5 year term - often extended with the mutual acceptance

Terminated by Queen
-Position of GG can be terminated by the queen at any point

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9
Q

Who are the GG: British

A

modest royal dissent
soldiers
ex: politicians

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10
Q

who are the GG: Canadians

A

Former politicians

  • usually politicians, usually partisan links to PM
  • Prominent public profile
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11
Q

Roles of GG: Ceremonial

A

Ceremonial Role
- order of Canada invesitnres, reception of ambassadors, diplomatic relations and credentials, exhibitions, cornerstones, entertainment

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12
Q

Roles of the GG: Political

A

Royal assent
Appoint PM - Role diminished over time

Dismiss PM

  • Corruption
  • Election results
  • dissolution
  • appointments
  • advise
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13
Q

GG political role: prorogation 2008

A

Following fall fiscal update
-notice of Liberal NDP coalition, backed by Bloc ready to defeat govt and become new govt

  • conservatives ask GG to prorogue parliament
  • Availability of Alternative govt
  • Appropriateness of conservative request
  • GG grants Conservative request
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14
Q

The Westminster Model

A

Parliamentary system based on British Example
Includes 3 bodies: the HofC, the senate, the crown

responsible govt

representative democracy

executive must maintain the confidence of the house

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15
Q

Responsible govt

A

political executive based in the lower house and responsible to it

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16
Q

Representative govt

A

House of commons is the repository of popular sovereignty

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17
Q

Senate

A

Sectional representation

  • us model
  • federalism

Check on democracy
-British model: house of lords

Composition

  • federal sectional equality
  • Check on democracy: property, over 30, secure tenure

Appointment PM

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18
Q

Limits on Senate Role

A

Cannot introduce money bills

suspensive Constitutional Veto

Not a confidence chamber

Senators Historical:

  • Partisan
  • Business
  • Men
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19
Q

Senate in Practise

A

Private Bills
Clean up legislation
Investigative work

Conflict with House

  • Split control
  • Popular support

Conflict resolution

  • Additional senators
  • free conference
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20
Q

How are the members appointed to the advisory board

A

The governor in Council, on the recommendation of the PM, appoints the Advisory Board Members.

Consultations with provincial or territorial govts are undertaken in order to inform the appointment of provincial or territorial members

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21
Q

How long is each Advisory Board member’s term

A

Federal members of the Advisory Board each serve two-year terms and the provincial or territorial members each serve one-year terms

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22
Q

Constitutional eligibility requirements

A

Age
citizenship
new worth in real and personal property

23
Q

Merit-based criteria established by the govt

A

Non-partisanship
knowledge requirement
personal qualities

24
Q

Issues in Senate Reform

A

Method of selection
Composition
Power

25
Q

Legislatures

A

Primary Electoral body
-basic representational unit

20th Century trend

  • lost power to the executive
  • rate for legislature to make significant govt decisions
26
Q

The change in the senate appointments

A

Are changes made unilaterally

27
Q

Organization of Legislature

A

Number of Chambers
-Unicameral or bicameral

-Bicameral 2 Houses
-Upper house not rep by pop
lower house is always close to rep by pop

  • upper house not always elected
  • upper house usually not as powerful
28
Q

The legislature: Unicameral

A

Takes twice as long

approved twice, approved by each chamber

29
Q

The legislature: bicameral

A

having two branches or chambers

more complicated

30
Q

How many days does the AB legislature sits?

A

around 44 a year

the control of the govt is much stronger in the provincial legislature in the fed house of commons

31
Q

Veto Plater of a legislative process

A

As an actor whose consent is required for the status-quo bill to be changed and amended

bill c-69 changing the way that major energy projects get approved

a bill must be passed in both Houses and given royal “assent” by the GG in order to become law

32
Q

Functions of Legislatures

A

Legitimacy
-opportunity for reps of people to have say on political matters

-Confidence of people that they have had opportunity to influence decisions

  • provision of obligation
  • obey the law because the people we have elected have approved the laws on our behalf
33
Q

Functions of Legislatures continued

A

Law making
-pass laws

  • make final decisions, dispose of public questions
  • pass laws or refuse to pass laws

-approve or disapprove of bills

  • does not mean that legislature draws up bills
  • subordinate legislation, only a cab minister or a parliamentary secretary can introduce bills
34
Q

Subordinate legislation

A

Grant authority from legislature to executive passed as part of a statute (the bill that gets approved in the House of Commons)

  • fill in the details
  • allows executive to make the detailed rules, regulations, ordinances etc necessary to make a piece of legislation effective
  • legislature rarely determines every measure in a bill
  • wide latitude for executive in spending money
35
Q

Functions of Legislative: electoral

A
  1. Choice of govt
    - key in parliamentary regimes
    - electoral college
    - responsible govt
    - -Votes of confidence
    - -Constructive vote of confidence
  2. Choice of presiding officer
    - Speaker
    - Rules of procedure
    - reside over debate
    - protect legislature privileges
    - assure decorum
36
Q

Functions of Legislature: Constitutional/Financial

A

Constitutional
0impossible to change constitution w/o some sort of legislative approval

Financial

  • power of purse
  • traditional authority of UK House of Commons
  • Executives not raise or spend public money w/o legislative approval
37
Q

Functions of Legislature: investigative

A
  • Determine feelings about legislation
  • determine impact of legislation

-Hearings on legislation
–Committees
Powers affected by:
summons
budget
staff support
permanence
selection of chair

38
Q

Watch dog: watches the activity of a particular part of govt

A

-Supervise executive
-power of purse
committee hearings
-day to day debate in the HofC
–limits on
–closure/Time allocation
–filibuster
–opposition days

question period

39
Q

Functions of legislature: constituency service

A

Constituency service

  • ombudperson
  • raise concerns of constituents
  • rime consuming
  • provides concrete results
  • involves every member
40
Q

Ombudperson

A

official who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints of maladministration or a violation of rights

41
Q

Legislative officers

A

Speaker
-Procedure and order

House leaders

  • Interacting with the speaking and the other house leaders in terms of allocation of time and organization
  • Make an agreement on how much time can be spent on each of the bills
  • Approach on if you want to speak on a particular legislation

whips

  • Ensure presence of members in chamber
  • Ensure members vote appropriately
42
Q

Committees

A

Standing committees
- commons committes

legislative committees

special committees

joint committees
-Both senators and the Hoc participate

issues

  • Autonomy & control of agenda - determined by the govt in a majority situation
  • funds/support staff
43
Q

Party Discipline

A

Group behaviour

Punishment for violations

advance discussion

party caucus

trained seals

organize legislature

44
Q

Parties and the House of Commons

A

Ensure stable and coherent govt
Party officers
-house leader
-whip

Parties decide time allocation, QP roster, Committee assignments, other assignments

Caucus
-meetings, debates, decisions

Party discipline

  • Members behave as part of group
  • Sanctions and rewards
45
Q

Pary Discipline

A
  • Resp govt
  • teams/inds
  • caucus decisions
  • citizen judgement
  • reduce interest group role
  • Leaders too powerful
  • concentration of power
  • interests ignored
  • MPs demoralized
  • Parliament talkshow
46
Q

The Bill becomes Law

A

Laws are drafted, then scrutinized by legislative committees

the amount of scrutiny varies from one state to the next

committees vary in power and importance (finance, foreign affairs, multiculturalism)

Committee assignments depend on representatives’ background expertise, interests, and seniority

Powerful committees may keep the executive in check

47
Q

Public Bills

A

Employment and social insurance act, income tax act

48
Q

Money bills

A

Involve the raising or spending of money

49
Q

Government bills

A

Most bills; introduced by cab ministers

50
Q

Private members’ bills

A

Bills of a general nature; govt usually “talks them out” until parliament is prorogued

51
Q

The Caucus

A

A meeting at which local members of a political party register their preference among candidates running for office or select delegates to attend a convention

52
Q

Shadow cabinet

A

the opposition party tries to assign one member of its caucus to shadow a specifc minister

pay particular attention to the proposals coming from that minister

53
Q

Party whip

A

ensure party discipline in a legislature

54
Q

Party Perks

A

Promotions
Employment if defeated
party organization