Kanadische Regierung" on dewiki

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2013}}
[[File:Canada wordmark.svg|thumb|right|The [[wordmark]] of the Government of Canada]]
[[File:Government of Canada signature.svg|right|thumb|The bilingual Government of Canada wordmark]]
{{Canadian politics}}
The '''Government of Canada''' ({{lang-fr|link=no|Gouvernement du Canada}}), formally '''Her Majesty's Government'''<ref name=MacLeod18>{{Citation| last=MacLeod| first=Kevin S.| authorlink=Kevin S. MacLeod| title=A Crown of Maples| place=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| page=18| year=2008| edition=1| url=http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/fr-rf/crnCdn/crn_mpls-eng.pdf| isbn=978-0-662-46012-1| accessdate=21 June 2009| ref=harv}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.speech.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=1367#10| last=Government of Canada| title=Speech From the Throne > Frequently Asked Questions| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| accessdate=4 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{citation| url=http://www.gct3.net/grand-chiefs-office/gct3-info-and-history/government-of-canada-document/| last=Grand Chief's Office| title=Treaty 3 Between Her Majesty the Queen and the Saulteaux Tribe of the Ojibway Indians at the Northwest Angle on the Lake of the Woods With Adhesions| publisher=The Grand Council of Treaty #3| accessdate=4 June 2010}}</ref> ({{lang-fr|link=no|Gouvernement de Sa Majesté}}), is the federal democratic administration of [[Canada]] by a common authority; in [[Canadian English]], the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the [[Queen-in-Council]]. In both senses, the construct was established at [[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]], through the [[Constitution Act, 1867]], as a [[federation|federal]] [[constitutional monarchy]], wherein the [[Monarchy of Canada|Canadian Crown]] acts as the core, or "the most basic building block,"<ref>{{Citation| last=Department of Canadian Heritage| author-link=Department of Canadian Heritage| title=Canadian Heritage Portfolio| place=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| date=February 2009| edition=2| url=http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/publctn/gp-pg/ppc-chp/ppc-chp-eng.pdf| page=3| isbn=978-1-100-11529-0| accessdate=5 July 2009| ref=harv}}</ref> of its [[Westminster system|Westminster-style]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[democracy]].<ref>{{cite journal| last=Coyne| first=Andrew| authorlink=Andrew Coyne| title=Defending the royals| journal=Maclean's| publisher=Rogers Communications| location=Toronto| date=13 November 2009| url=http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/11/13/defending-the-royals/| issn=0024-9262| accessdate=17 November 2009}}</ref> The Crown is thus the foundation of the [[Executive (government)|executive]] (the [[Cabinet of Canada|Cabinet]], a committee of the [[Queen's Privy Council for Canada]]), [[Legislature|legislative]] (the [[Parliament of Canada]]), and [[Judiciary|judicial]] (various [[Court system of Canada|federal courts]]) branches of the Canadian government.<ref>{{Citation| last=Victoria| author-link=Queen Victoria| publication-date=29 March 1867| title=Constitution Act, 1867| series=III.15| publication-place=Westminster| publisher=Queen's Printer| url=http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Canada/English/ca_1867.html| accessdate=15 January 2009| year=1867 |ref=harv}}</ref><ref name=MacLeod17>{{Harvnb| MacLeod| 2008| p=17}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb| Department of Canadian Heritage| 2009| p=4}}</ref> Further elements of governance are outlined in the rest of the [[constitution of Canada|Canadian constitution]], which includes written statutes, court rulings, and unwritten [[Convention (norm)#Government|conventions]] developed over centuries.<ref>{{Cite book| last=Brooks| first=Stephen| title=Canadian Democracy: An Introduction| publisher=Oxford University Press| year=2007| location=Don Mills| page=126| edition=5| isbn=978-0-19-543103-2| ref=harv}}</ref>

==Usage==
In [[Canadian English]], the word ''[[government]]'' is used to refer both to the whole set of institutions that govern the country (as in American usage, but where Britons would use ''[[Government|state]]''), and to the current political leadership (as in British usage, but where Americans would use ''[[administration (government)|administration]]'').

In federal department [[press release]]s, the government has sometimes been referred to by the phrase ''[last name of prime minister] Government''; this terminology has been commonly employed in the media.<ref name=GMName>{{citation| last=Cheadle| first=Bruce| title=Tories re-brand government in Stephen Harper's name| newspaper=The Globe and Mail| date=3 March 2011| url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tories-re-brand-government-in-stephen-harpers-name/article1929175/| accessdate=26 April 2011}}</ref> In late 2010, an informal instruction from the [[Office of the Prime Minister (Canada)|Office of the Prime Minister]] urged government departments to consistently use in all department communications the term (at that time ''Harper Government'') in place of ''Government of Canada''.<ref>{{Cite news| title=Tories defend use of 'Harper Government' | publisher=CTV| date=7 March 2011| url=http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Politics/20110307/pco-harper-government-110307/| accessdate=9 May 2011}}</ref> The same cabinet earlier directed departments to use the phrase ''Canada's New Government''.<ref name=GMName />

==Monarchy==
{{Main|Monarchy of Canada}}
As per the [[Constitution Act, 1867]], Canada is a [[constitutional monarchy]], wherein the role of the reigning sovereign is both legal and practical, but not political.<ref name=Forsey>{{Cite journal| last=Forsey| first=Helen| authorlink=Helen Forsey| title=As David Johnson Enters Rideau Hall...| journal=The Monitor| publisher=Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives| location=Ottawa| date=1 October 2010| url=http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/david-johnson-enters-rideau-hall | accessdate=23 January 2011}}</ref> The Crown is regarded as a [[corporation]], with the monarch, vested as she is with all powers of state,<ref>{{cite book| last=Privy Council Office| authorlink=Privy Council Office (Canada)| title=Accountable Government: A Guide for Ministers and Ministers of State{{spaced ndash}}2008| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| year=2008| location=Ottawa| page=45| url=http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/index.asp?lang=eng&page=information&sub=publications&doc=ag-gr/2008/ag-gr-eng.htm| isbn=978-1-100-11096-7| accessdate=17 May 2009}}</ref> at the centre of a construct in which the power of the whole is shared by multiple institutions of government acting under the sovereign's authority;<ref name=Smith6>{{Citation| last=Smith| first=David E.| title=The Crown and the Constitution: Sustaining Democracy?| periodical=The Crown in Canada: Present Realities and Future Options| page=6| publication-place=Kingston| publisher=Queen's University| date=10 June 2010 | url=http://www.queensu.ca/iigr/conf/ConferenceOnTheCrown/CrownConferencePapers/The_Crown_and_the_Constitutio1.pdf| accessdate=18 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{citation| last=Table Research Branch of the House of Commons| authorlink=Canadian House of Commons| title=Compendium of Procedure| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| date=March 2008| location=Ottawa| page=1| url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/compendium/web-content/pdf-e/parliamentaryframework-e/c_d_rolecrowngovernorgeneral-e.pdf| accessdate=14 October 2009}}</ref><ref name=Murdoch>{{cite journal| last=Cox| first=Noel| title=Black v Chrétien: Suing a Minister of the Crown for Abuse of Power, Misfeasance in Public Office and Negligence| journal=Murdoch University Electronic Journal of Law| volume=9| issue=3| page=12| publisher=Murdoch University| location=Perth| date=September 2002| url=http://www.murdoch.edu.au/elaw/issues/v9n3/cox93.html| accessdate=17 May 2009}}</ref> the Crown has thus been described as the underlying principle of Canada's institutional unity,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/senate/Monarchy/SenMonarchy_00-e.htm| last=Parliament of Canada| authorlink=Parliament of Canada| title=Canada: A Constitutional Monarchy| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| accessdate=25 September 2009}}</ref> with the executive formally called the ''[[Queen-in-Council]]'', the legislature the ''[[Queen-in-Parliament]]'', and the courts as the ''[[Queen's Bench|Queen on the Bench]]''.<ref name=MacLeod17 />
[[File:Queen of canada wob.jpg|thumb|left|[[Elizabeth II]], Queen of Canada, wearing the Sovereign's insignia of the [[Order of Canada]] and the [[Order of Military Merit (Canada)|Order of Military Merit]]]]

[[Royal Assent]] and the [[royal sign-manual]] are required to enact laws, [[letters patent]], and [[Order in Council|orders in council]], though the authority for these acts stems from the Canadian populace and,<ref>{{cite book| last=Forsey| first=Eugene| authorlink=Eugene Forsey| title=How Canadians Govern Themselves| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| year=2005| location=Ottawa| page=1| edition=6| url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/idb/forsey/PDFs/How_Canadians_Govern_Themselves-6ed.pdf| isbn=0-662-39689-8| accessdate=14 May 2009| ref=harv}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/MarleauMontpetit/DocumentViewer.aspx?DocId=1001&Sec=Ch01&Seq=5&Lang=E&Print=2| last=Marleau| first=Robert| last2=Montpetit| first2=Camille| title=House of Commons Procedure and Practice > 1. Parliamentary Institutions| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| accessdate=28 September 2009| year=2000| ref=harv}}</ref> within the [[Convention (norm)#Government|conventional]] stipulations of constitutional monarchy, the sovereign's direct participation in any of these areas of governance is limited.<ref name=MacLeod16>{{Harvnb| MacLeod| 2008| p=16}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| last=Russell| first=Peter| publication-date=1983| contribution=Bold Statecraft, Questionable Jurisprudence| editor-last=Banting| editor-first=Keith G.| editor2-last=Simeon| editor2-first=Richard| title=And no one cheered: federalism, democracy, and the Constitution Act| page=217| publication-place=Toronto| publisher=Taylor & Francis| isbn=978-0-458-95950-1| url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=sUwOAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref>

The current monarch is [[Title and style of the Canadian monarch|Queen]] [[Elizabeth II]]. As an individual, she is also the head of state of [[Commonwealth realm|15 other countries]] in the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], though, she reigns separately as Queen of Canada, an office that is "truly Canadian" and "totally independent from that of the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Queen of the United Kingdom]] and the other Commonwealth realms."<ref>{{cite book| authorlink= Department of Canadian Heritage| title=Crown of Maples- Constitutional Monarchy in Canada| pages=5, 12, 20, 40, 49| edition=2008| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| year=2008| isbn=978-0-662-46012-1| url=http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/fr-rf/crnCdn/index-eng.cfm| accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=The Queen and Canada: History and present Government| url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/Canada/Historyandpresentgovernment.aspx|publisher=The Royal Household| accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref> Her Majesty appoints a federal viceregal representative, the [[Governor General of Canada|governor general]], currently [[David Johnston]]. Since 1947, the governor general has been permitted to exercise almost all of the sovereign's [[Royal Prerogative]], though there are some duties which must be specifically performed by, or bills that require assent by, the Queen; these include applying the [[royal sign-manual]] and [[Great Seal of Canada]] to the appointment papers of governors general, the issuance of [[letters patent]],<ref>{{Cite journal| first=Andrew| last=Heard| contribution=Canadian Independence| year=1990| place=Vancouver| publisher=Simon Fraser University| url=http://www.sfu.ca/~aheard/324/Independence.html| accessdate=25 August 2010}}</ref> the confirmation of awards of [[Orders, decorations, and medals of Canada|Canadian honours]], the approval of any change in her Canadian title,<ref>{{Cite journal| last=Michener| first=Roland| author-link=Roland Michener| date=19 November 1970| publication-date=1971| contribution=Dinner in Honour of His Excellency, the Right Honourable Roland Michener C.C., C.D., Governor General of Canada| contribution-url=http://speeches.empireclub.org/details.asp?SpeechID=562| title=The Empire Club of Canada Speeches 1970–1971| pages=130–149| publication-place=Toronto| publisher=Empire Club of Canada| url=http://speeches.empireclub.org/| accessdate=18 May 2009}}</ref> and the creation of new [[Senate of Canada|Senate]] seats.<ref>{{Harvnb| Victoria| 1867| loc=IV.26}}</ref>

The Royal Prerogative also extends to foreign affairs: on the advice of the Cabinet, the sovereign or governor general negotiates and ratifies treaties, alliances, international agreements, and [[Declaration of war by Canada|declarations of war]],<ref>{{citation| url=http://www.lawtimesnews.com/20060501549/Headline-News/War-power-and-the-Royal-Prerogative| last=Brode| first=Patrick| title=War power and the Royal Prerogative| date=1 May 2006| journal=Law Times| accessdate=22 October 2012}}</ref> and the governor general, on behalf of the Queen, both accredits Canadian high commissioners and ambassadors and receives similar diplomats from foreign states; contrary to the usual process of Letters of Credence and Recall being issued from one head of state to another, Canada's run in the name of the incumbent governor general, rather than that of the reigning monarch.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://archive.gg.ca/gg/fgg/bios/03/02e_e.asp| last=Office of the Governor General of Canada| authorlink=Governor General of Canada| title=The Governor General – the evolution of Canada's oldest public institution| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| accessdate=16 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| title=Martin Government Removes Queen From Diplomatic Documents| journal=Canadian Monarchist News| volume=Spring 2005| issue=23| page=2| publisher=Monarchist League of Canada| location=Toronto| year=2005| format=PDF| url=http://www.monarchist.ca/cmn/2005/Spring_2005_CMN.pdf| accessdate=17 March 2007| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080625225427/http://www.monarchist.ca/cmn/2005/Spring_2005_CMN.pdf| archivedate=25 June 2008}}</ref> Similarly, the issuance of passports falls under the Royal Prerogative and,<ref>{{Cite journal| last=Elizabeth II| author-link=Elizabeth II| publication-date=28 June 2006| title=Canadian Passport Order| series=4.4| publication-place=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| url=http://www.pptc.gc.ca/publications/pdfs/81-86_administrative_2006_eng.pdf| format=PDF| accessdate=19 May 2009| year=2006| ref=harv}}</ref> as such, all [[Canadian passport]]s are issued in the monarch's name and remain her property.<ref>{{Harvnb| Elizabeth II| 2006| loc=3.b, 3.c}}</ref>

The monarch and governor general typically follow the near-binding [[Advice (constitutional)|advice]] of their [[Minister of the Crown|ministers of the Crown]] in [[Cabinet of Canada|Cabinet]]. It is important to note, however, that the Royal Prerogative belongs to the Crown and not to any of the ministers,<ref name=Murdoch /><ref>{{cite journal| last=Neitsch| first=Alfred Thomas| title=A Tradition of Vigilance: The Role of Lieutenant Governor in Alberta| journal=Canadian Parliamentary Review| page=23| volume=30| issue=4| publisher=Commonwealth Parliamentary Association| location=Ottawa| year=2008| url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Infoparl/30/4/30n4_07e_Neitsch.pdf| accessdate=22 May 2009}}</ref> who rule "in trust" for the monarch and,<ref>{{Harvnb| MacLeod| 2008| p=8}}</ref> upon losing the [[Confidence and supply|confidence]] of the elected House of Commons, must relinquish the Crown's power back to it,<ref name=Tidridge65 /> whereupon a new government, which can hold the lower chamber's confidence, is installed by the governor general. The royal and viceroyal figures may unilaterally use these powers in exceptional [[constitutional crisis]] situations.{{#tag:ref|See [[Queen's Privy Council for Canada#cite note-RP-13|Note 1]] at [[Queen's Privy Council for Canada]].|group=n|name=RP}}<ref name=Murdoch /><ref>{{cite book| last=McWhinney| first=Edward| authorlink=Ted McWhinney| title=The Governor General and the Prime Ministers| publisher=Ronsdale Press| pages=16–17| year=2005| location=Vancouver| isbn=1-55380-031-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Robert MacGregor Dawson|author2=William Foster Dawson|title=Democratic Government in Canada|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=uOSN8PsTOFwC&pg=PA68|edition=5|year=1989|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=978-0-8020-6703-6|pages=68–69}}</ref></ref><ref>{{Harvnb| Forsey| 2005| pp=4, 34}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/executive-decree/023004-2020-e.html| last=Library and Archives Canada| authorlink=Library and Archives Canada| title=Politics and Government > By Executive Decree > The Governor General| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| accessdate=18 May 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=13264| last=Office of the Governor General of Canada| title=Role and Responsibilities > Role of the Governor General > Constitutional Responsibilities| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| accessdate=18 November 2009}}</ref><ref name=Tidridge65>{{cite book|author=Nathan Tidridge|title=Canada's Constitutional Monarchy: An Introduction to Our Form of Government|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=JvGsvHsAtDgC&pg=PA65|year=2011|publisher=Dundurn|isbn=978-1-4597-0084-0|page=65}}</ref> Politicians can sometimes try to use to their favour the complexity of the relationship between the monarch, viceroy, ministers, and parliament, and the public's general unfamiliarity with it.{{#tag:ref|It was said by [[Helen Forsey]]: "The inherent complexity and subtlety of this type of constitutional situation can make it hard for the general public to fully grasp the implications. That confusion gives an unscrupulous government plenty of opportunity to oversimplify and misrepresent, making much of the alleged conflict between popular democracy—supposedly embodied in the Prime Minister—and the constitutional mechanisms at the heart of responsible government, notably the 'reserve powers' of the Crown, which gets portrayed as illegitimate." As examples, she cited the campaign of [[William Lyon Mackenzie King]] following the [[King–Byng Affair]] of 1926 and [[Stephen Harper]]'s comments during the [[2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute]].<ref name=Forsey />|group=n|name=Forsey}}

The Canadian monarchy is a [[Federal monarchy|federal one]] in which the Crown is unitary throughout all jurisdictions in the country, with the [[Head of state|headship of state]] being a part of all equally.<ref>{{cite journal| last=Roberts| first=Edward| authorlink=Edward Roberts (Canadian politician)| title=Ensuring Constitutional Wisdom During Unconventional Times| journal=Canadian Parliamentary Review| page=13| volume=23| issue=1| publisher=Commonwealth Parliamentary Association| location=Ottawa| year=2009| url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Infoparl/32/1/32n1_09e_Roberts.pdf| accessdate=21 May 2009}}</ref> As such, the sovereignty of the federal and provincial regions is passed on not by the governor general or federal parliament, but through the overreaching Crown itself. Though singular, the Crown is thus "divided" into eleven legal jurisdictions, or eleven "crowns"—one federal and ten provincial.<ref name=Smith6 /><ref>{{cite journal| last=Jackson| first=Michael D.| title=Golden Jubilee and Provincial Crown| journal=Canadian Monarchist News| volume=7| issue=3| page=6| publisher=Monarchist League of Canada| location=Toronto| year=2003| url=http://www.monarchist.ca/cmnews/CMN_winter_spring_2003_Update-3.pdf| accessdate=21 May 2009}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> A [[Lieutenant Governor (Canada)|lieutenant governor]] serves as the Queen's representative in each province, carrying out all the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties of state on her behalf.

==Executive power==
{{Main|Queen's Privy Council for Canada}}
[[File:Stephen Harper by Remy Steinegger.jpg|thumb|right|Current prime minister Stephen Harper, Canada's [[head of government]]]]
The [[government]] is defined by the constitution as the Queen acting on the advice of [[Queen's Privy Council for Canada|her privy council]].<ref name=MacLeod18 /><ref name=US>{{Citation| last=Wrong| first=Humphrey Hume| authorlink=H. H. Wrong| contribution=Telegram 219| date=10 November 1952| place=Ottawa| title=Relations With the United States| editor-last=Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada| editor-link=Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade| journal=Documents on Canadian External Relations| publication-place=Ottawa| volume=18{{spaced ndash}}867| contribution-url=http://www.international.gc.ca/department/history-histoire/dcer/details-en.asp?intRefid=4363| accessdate=18 May 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb| Victoria| 1867| loc=III.9 & 11}}</ref><ref name=MarleauExecutive>{{Harvnb| Marleau| Montpetit| 2000| loc=The Executive}}</ref> However, the Privy Council—consisting mostly of former members of parliament, chief justices of the Supreme Court, and other elder statesmen—rarely meets in full; as the stipulations of [[responsible government]] require that those who directly advise the monarch and governor general on how to exercise the [[Royal Prerogative]] be accountable to the elected [[Canadian House of Commons|House of Commons]], the day-to-day operation of government is guided only by a sub-group of the Privy Council made up of individuals who hold seats in parliament.<ref name=MarleauExecutive /> This body of [[Minister of the Crown|ministers of the Crown]] is the [[Cabinet of Canada|Cabinet]].

One of the main duties of the Crown is to "ensure that a democratically elected government is always in place,"<ref>{{Citation| last=Boyce| first=Peter| year=2008| publication-date=October 2009| contribution=The Queen's Other Realms: The Crown and its Legacy in Australia, Canada and New Zealand (ISBN 9-781-86287-700-9)| editor-last=Jackson| editor-first=Michael D.| title=The Senior Realms of the Queen| periodical=Canadian Monarchist News| volume=Autumn 2009| issue=30| page=9| place=Sydney| publication-place =Toronto| publisher=Monarchist League of Canada| url=http://www.monarchist.ca/cmn/2009/Autumn_2009_CMN.pdf| accessdate=22 October 2009}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> which means appointing a [[prime minister]]—presently [[Stephen Harper]]—to thereafter head the Cabinet.<ref name=GG>{{cite web| url=http://www.gg.ca/media/fs-fd/P1_e.asp| last=Office of the Governor General of Canada| title=Media > Fact Sheets > The Swearing-In of a New Ministry| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| accessdate=18 May 2009}}</ref> Per convention, the governor general must appoint as prime minister the person who holds the [[Confidence and supply|confidence]] of the House of Commons; in practice, this is typically the leader of the [[List of political parties in Canada|political party]] that holds more seats than any other party in that chamber, currently the [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative Party]]. Should no party hold a majority in the Commons, the leader of one party—either the one with the most seats or one supported by other parties—will be called by the governor general to form a [[minority government]]. Once sworn in by the viceroy, the prime minister holds office until he or she resigns or is removed by the governor general, after either a [[motion of non-confidence]] or his party's defeat in a general election.

==Legislative power==
{{Main|Parliament of Canada}}
The Parliament of Canada, the [[bicameral]] national legislature located on [[Parliament Hill]] in the [[Capital (political)|national capital]] of [[Ottawa]], consists of the Queen (represented by the governor general), the appointed [[Senate of Canada|Senate]] ([[upper house]]), and the elected House of Commons ([[lower house]]).<ref>{{Harvnb| Victoria| 1867| loc=IV.17}}</ref> The governor general summons and appoints each of the (currently) 105 members of senators on the advice of the prime minister,<ref>{{Harvnb| Victoria| 1867| loc=IV.24}}</ref> while the (currently) 308 members of the House of Commons (Members of Parliament) are directly elected by eligible voters in the Canadian populace, with each member representing a single [[electoral district (Canada)|electoral district]] for a period mandated by law of not more than four years;<ref>{{Citation| last=Elizabeth II| author-link=Elizabeth II| publication-date=31 May 2000| title=Canada Elections Act| series=56.1.2| publication-place=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| url=http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/sc-2000-c-9/latest/sc-2000-c-9.html| accessdate=20 November 2009}}</ref> the constitution mandates a maximum of five years. Per democratic tradition, the House of Commons is the dominant branch of parliament; the Senate and Crown rarely oppose its will. The Senate, thus, reviews legislation from a less partisan standpoint, and the Crown provides the necessary [[Royal Assent]] to make bills into law. The Crown, acting on the advice of the prime minister, also summons, [[Prorogation in Canada|prorogues]], and [[Dissolution of parliament#Canada|dissolves parliament]] in order to [[Dropping the writ|call an election]], as well as reads the [[Speech from the throne|Throne Speech]].
[[File:Parliament-Ottawa.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Centre Block]] of the Canadian parliament buildings on [[Parliament Hill]]]]

The Constitution Act, 1867, outlines that the governor general is responsible for summoning parliament in the Queen's name. A parliamentary session lasts until a prorogation, after which, without ceremony, both chambers of the legislature cease all legislative business until the governor general issues another royal proclamation calling for a new session to begin. After a number of such sessions, each parliament comes to an end via dissolution. As a general election typically follows, the timing of a dissolution is usually politically motivated, with the prime minister selecting a moment most advantageous to his or her political party. The end of a parliament may also be necessary, however, if the majority of Members of Parliament revoke their confidence in the Prime Minister's ability to govern, or the legally mandated four-year maximum is reached; no parliament has been allowed to expire in such a fashion.

==Judicial power==
{{Main|Court system of Canada}}
[[File:Supreme Court of Canada, Ottawa.jpg|right|thumb|Supreme Court Building in [[Ottawa]]]]
The sovereign is responsible for rendering justice for all her subjects, and is thus traditionally deemed the ''fount of justice''.<ref name=Cools>{{cite hansard| url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/2/parlbus/chambus/senate/deb-e/029db_2000-02-17-E.htm?Language=E&Parl=36&Ses=2#0.2.W54BJ2.MERRJT.A7B6PH.2F| house=Senate| date=17 February 2000| column_start=1500| column_end=1510}}</ref> However, she does not personally rule in judicial cases; instead the judicial functions of the Royal Prerogative are performed in trust and in the Queen's name by officers of Her Majesty's courts.

The [[Supreme Court of Canada]]—the country's [[court of last resort]]—has nine justices appointed by the governor general on recommendation by the prime minister and led by the [[Chief Justice of Canada]], and hears appeals from decisions rendered by the various appellate courts from the provinces and territories. Below this is the [[Federal Court (Canada)|Federal Court]], which hears cases arising under certain areas of federal law.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://cas-ncr-nter03.cas-satj.gc.ca/portal/page/portal/fc_cf_en/Jurisdiction| last=Federal Court| authorlink=Federal Court (Canada)| title=About the Court > Jurisdiction| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| accessdate=20 November 2009}}</ref> It works in conjunction with the [[Federal Court of Appeal (Canada)|Federal Court of Appeal]] and [[Tax Court of Canada]].<ref>{{Citation| last=Elizabeth II| author-link=Elizabeth II| publication-date=27 March 2002| title=Courts Administration Service Act| series=2.a| publication-place=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| url=http://canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/sc-2002-c-8/latest/sc-2002-c-8.html| accessdate=20 November 2009}}</ref>

==Federalism==
{{See|Canadian federalism}}
The powers of the parliaments in Canada are limited by the constitution, which divides legislative abilities between the federal and provincial governments; in general, the [[Legislative Assembly|legislatures]] of the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|provinces]] may only pass laws relating to topics explicitly reserved for them by the constitution, such as education, provincial officers, municipal government, charitable institutions, and "matters of a merely local or private nature,"<ref>{{Harvnb| Victoria| 1867| loc=VI.92}}</ref> while any matter not under the exclusive authority of the provincial legislatures is within the scope of the federal parliament's power. Thus, the parliament at Ottawa alone can pass laws relating to, amongst other things, the [[mail|postal service]], the [[census]], [[Canadian Forces|the military]], [[criminal law]], navigation and shipping, [[fishing]], [[currency]], [[bank]]ing, [[weights and measures]], [[bankruptcy]], [[copyright]]s, [[patent]]s, [[Aboriginal people in Canada|First Nations]], and [[naturalization]].<ref>{{Harvnb| Victoria| 1867| loc=VI.91}}</ref> In some cases, however, the jurisdictions of the federal and provincial parliaments may be more vague. For instance, the federal parliament regulates [[marriage]] and [[divorce]] in general, but the solemnization of marriage is regulated only by the provincial legislatures. Other examples include the powers of both the federal and provincial parliaments to impose taxes, borrow money, punish crimes, and regulate [[agriculture]].

== See also ==
{{Wikipedia books|Canada}}
{{Portal|Canadian politics}}
* [[Structure of the Canadian federal government]]
* [[Politics of Canada]]
* [[.gc.ca]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=n}}

==References==
{{columns-list|2|
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation |last =Bourinot  |first =John George |coauthor= Sir, Thomas Barnard Flint |year =2008 |title = Parliamentary Procedure and Practice in the Dominion of Canada
 |url =http://books.google.ca/books?id=k1i056Bp0IMC&lpg=PA1&dq=government%20%20of%20canada&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true |publisher=Lawbook Exchange|edition=4th  |isbn=	9781584778813  |accessdate = }}
*{{cite book| last=Dawson| first=R. MacGregor| coauthors=Dawson, WF| title=Democratic Government in Canada| editor=Norman Ward| publisher=University of Toronto Press| location=Toronto| year=1989|url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=uOSN8PsTOFwC&lpg=PP1&dq=Democratic%20Government%20in%20Canada&pg=PA17#v=onepage&q&f=true| isbn=0-8020-6703-4| accessdate=2011-01-14}}
* {{citation |last =Johnson |first =David |edition=2nd |coauthor= |year =2006 |title =Thinking government: public sector management in Canada |url =http://books.google.ca/books?id=TcL80sSautgC&lpg=PP1&dq=government%20%20of%20canada&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true |publisher=Broadview Press |isbn=1-55111-779-7 |accessdate = }}
* {{citation |last =  Hale |first =Geoffrey |coauthor= Geoffrey E. Hale|year =2006 |title =Uneasy partnership: the politics of business and government in Canada
  |url =http://books.google.ca/books?id=reUbMtHEP0oC&lpg=PP1&dq=government%20%20of%20canada&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true |publisher= Broadview Press|isbn= 978-1-55111-504-7|accessdate = }}
* {{citation |last = Malcolmson |first = Patrick|edition=4th|coauthor=  Richard Myers|year =2009 |title =The Canadian Regime: An Introduction to Parliamentary Government in Canada |url =http://books.google.ca/books?id=-jpXFH_ZhY8C&lpg=PP1&dq=government%20%20of%20canada&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true |publisher=University of Toronto Press |isbn= 978-1-4426-0047-8 |accessdate = }}
* {{citation |last =  Morton|first =Frederick Lee |coauthor= |year =2002 |title =Law, politics, and the judicial process in Canada
  |url =http://books.google.ca/books?id=dj_4_H35nmYC&lpg=PP1&dq=Politics%20%20of%20canada&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true |publisher= Frederick Lee|isbn= 1-55238-046-7
|accessdate = }}
* {{citation |last = Roy |first =Jeffrey |coauthor= |year =2006 |title =E-government in Canada: transformation for the digital age |url = http://books.google.ca/books?id=e7MvxfWYC-MC&lpg=PP1&dq=government%20%20of%20canada&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true|publisher= University of Ottawa Press|isbn=978-0-7766-0617-0  |accessdate = }}
* {{citation |last = Roy |first =Jeffrey |coauthor= |year = 2007|title =Business and government in Canada |url =http://books.google.ca/books?id=dUteJOqOGOwC&lpg=PP1&dq=government%20%20of%20canada&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true |publisher= University of Ottawa Press|isbn=978-0-7766-0658-3 |accessdate = }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [http://www.canada.ca/ Government of Canada (Official)] 
** [http://wayback.archive.org/*/http://www.canada.gc.ca/ Archives of the Government of Canada website]
* [http://publiservice.gc.ca/directories/infor_e.html Information on the Government of Canada]

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