Unit 5: The Prime Minister and the Cabinet Flashcards
Pierre Trudeau Returns
The 1979 election saw the defeat of Pierre Trudeau, who had been in office since 1968.
This Liberal Party of Canada had been in office since 1963;
Lester Pearson, 1963 to 1968.
Pierre Trudeau, 1968 to 1979.
During the 1980 election, Trudeau would return to office and serve a final term as PM until 1984.
The longevity of the Liberal party in office sees it being referred to as the ‘natural governing party’
What is the Evolution of Parliamentary Democracy?
Parliament- centred
(1867-1878)
Cabinet-centred
(1878-1945)
Prime Ministerial-centred
(1945-present)
What are the Power Bases of the Prime Minister?
The Prime Minister is the leader of:
a government and a political party
There are many sources of power for the Prime Minister vis-à-vis:
Parliament;
Cabinet, and;
parliamentary caucus.
What about PM as Leader of Government?
The following decisions are solely made by the Prime Minister:
Which MPs will be members of Cabinet.
Which portfolios will be assigned to which Cabinet ministers.
Which MPs will serve as Parliamentary Secretaries.
Only the Prime Minister advises the Governor General on dissolution, proroguing the HOC, orders-in-council appointments, the Speech from the Throne.
Question Period – who answers the questions.
What about Leader of a Political Party?
The following powers are available to the PM as leader of a political party:
Decides who can run for the political party: Canada Elections Act requires nomination papers for federal ridings to be signed by the party leader.
What about Leader of a Political Party?
Decides who can run for the political party: Canada Elections Act requires nomination papers for federal ridings to be signed by the party leader.
- In the case of the Liberal Party – the leader can appoint a candidate to run in a ‘safe’ riding without the consent of the local riding association:
- The ability to decide who can sit within the parliamentary caucus
What is Prime Ministerial Power?
Important parliamentary rules exist that allow the Cabinet, and by extension, the Prime Minister, to control the House of Commons:
Invoking closure during a debate.
Example: Debate over the Canadian Flag in 1964
Interpreting a vote of confidence as not being a vote of confidence.
Example: Lester Pearson and 1968
What is The Harper Years ?
Academics and the media portray the Harper years as posing certain challenges for Canadian parliamentary democracy:
A growing concentration of power at the center of government;
An abuse of constitutional norms and conventions – prorogation crisis 2008;
An abuse of omnibus bills to avoid parliamentary scrutiny.
Ian Brodie counters this thesis in his book, At the Center of Government, as does Herman Bakvis in his assigned reading.
Who are Brodie and Bakvis?
Suggest factors that undermine the ‘prime ministerial’ government thesis or the ‘governing from the center’ thesis:
The PM can only focus on a limited number of issues – the rest must be advanced by the ministry;
The parliamentary caucus is used as a sounding board for the PM and ministry and helps shape the legislative agenda;
Federalism is a constraint on the ‘center of government’;
The courts can check a government through judicial review;
Private Members of Parliament are more significant than academic and media commentary suggests
What about Trudeau Government?
The Liberal party in 2015 campaigned in opposition to the Harper approach to government.
A number of commitments to democratic reform would made in the 2015 election manifesto, Real Change.
Free votes as standard practice in the House of Commons;
Greater resources for parliamentary committees;
Greater independence for Officers of Parliament such as the Ethics Commissioner;
An end to the use of omnibus legislation and prorogation;
