![]() ![]() There are currently 338 seats in the House of Commons.Ī government formed by the party or the coalition of parties holding most seats in the House of Commons is known as a majority government. Its members are elected by Canadians to represent defined electoral districts or constituencies, also known as ridings. The House of Commons, or lower House, is the elected assembly of the Parliament of Canada. For more information, see the Our Procedure article about legislative process. To become law, all legislation must be adopted by both Houses in identical form and receive royal assent. The House of Commons also considers items of Private Members’ Business, that is, bills and motions proposed by members who are not cabinet ministers. Once introduced, a bill is subjected to a detailed process of review, debate, examination and amendment through both Houses before it is ready to receive final approval. Bills calling for the spending of public revenues or for the imposing of taxes must originate in the House of Commons. Proposed government legislation is introduced in one of the two chambers, usually the House of Commons, by a minister. The Parliament of Canada is “bicameral”, meaning it has two chambers: the Senate and the House of Commons. Parliament is Canada’s legislature, the federal institution with the power to make laws, to raise taxes, and to authorize government spending. As the Sovereign’s representative, the Governor General is the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces, performs several ceremonial functions, and represents Canada in state visits and in other international events. The Governor General is appointed by the King on the recommendation of the Prime Minister for a tenure of usually five years which may be extended at the discretion of the Sovereign. choose the Prime Minister (by convention, the leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Commons following a general election).dissolve Parliament before elections, and to open and close parliamentary sessions (at the beginning of each parliamentary session, the Governor General reads the Speech from the Throne, prepared by the Prime Minister, outlining the Government’s objectives for the upcoming session) and.appoint holders of many important offices (e.g., judicial and diplomatic).give royal assent to bill passed by the Senate and the House of Commons so that they become law.give royal recommendation to bills that propose to spend government revenues.The Constitution reserves certain prerogatives of government for the Crown, including the powers to: In Canada, executive authority is formally vested in the Crown (the Sovereign), and it is exercised in its name by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister and the cabinet. Some of Canada’s most important rules are not matters of law but are conventions or practices. The Constitution Act, 1982 contains the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the procedure for amending the Constitution. The Constitution Act, 1867 brought Canada into being with a constitution similar in principle to that of the United Kingdom. The Constitution involves more than a single document. It also lays out the powers and authorities of the office of the Governor General, as well as those of the Senate and the House of Commons. ![]() It prescribes which powers-legislative, executive and judicial-may be exercised by which level of government, and it sets limits on those powers. The Canadian ConstitutionĬanada’s Constitution sets forth the system of fundamental laws and principles that outline the nature, functions, and limits of Canada’s system of government, both federal and provincial. The judiciary is responsible for the interpretation and application of the law and the Constitution and for giving impartial judgments. Since Canada is a federal state, responsibility for lawmaking is shared among one federal, ten provincial and three territorial governments. Parliament consists of the Crown, the Senate, and the House of Commons, and laws are enacted once they are agreed to by all three parts. The government acts in the name of the Crown but derives its authority from the Canadian people.Ĭanada’s parliamentary system stems from the British, or “Westminster”, tradition. Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy, founded on the rule of law and respect for rights and freedoms. ![]()
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