Who’s Who in the Canadian Government?

 Learning Goals  Be able to explain the different roles of individuals within the government  Be able to identify the key political figures and political groups  Be able to communicate their understanding of key figures within the government structure  Success Criteria  I can explain the different figures within the Canadian government  I can identify the responsibilities of each figure within the government  I can communicate my knowledge about the individuals within our government and their responsibilities

What kind of Government does Canada have? Democratic  Origins : Democracy originated in ancient Greece  Principles: - In a functioning democracy, the power resides with the PEOPLE. -One person, one vote. No matter who you are or what you do, if you are a citizen of voting age, your vote counts EQUALLY.

Canadian Democracy  Head of State  Queen Elizabeth II  She is responsible for summoning parliament or provincial legislature to meet, appointing senators and calling elections. Governor General David Johnston Appointed by the Queen to represent the crown. The Governor General performs ceremonial duties and internationally represents Canadian culture. Under the Governor General there are lieutenant governors assigned to represent the provinces and territories Ontario: Elizabeth Dowdeswell

Head of Government  Prime Minister (Justin Trudeau)  Party: Conservative  Elected head of government  Leader of the political party with the most seats in the House of Commons  Most powerful person in Parliament  The PM and his personally appointed cabinet carry out the day-to-day decisions of government  The PM meets with other heads of government to discuss and decide international issues. Do you think you could be Prime Minister of Canada, try out this quiz to see! eforsey/inside_view/pm_challenge-e.html

Parliament:  The Canadian Parliament consists of two chambers: House of Commons and Senate.  House of Commons :  Consists of 308 elected Members of Parliament (MP’s)  MP’s debate issues, pass legislation (laws), and hold the government of the day accountable.  Senate :  Consists of 105 appointed senators  Each senator represents a geographic region The Senate provides a chamber of sober second thought: Responsible for reviewing laws passed by the House of Commons and representing the regions of Canada HOC = GREEN CHAMBER – from British Parliament SENATE = RED CHAMBER - from Royal Association

The Cabinet & Shadow Cabinet  The “Cabinet” are members of the Parliament selected by the Prime Minister to be responsible for an area of Public Policy, e.g. Minister of Defence, Minister of Finance, etc.  The leader of the opposition leads the “shadow cabinet”.  The “shadow cabinet” criticizes the actions of the cabinet, e.g. Defence Critic.

All other parties in the House of Commons other than the largest one (the one in power). the official opposition is the second largest party in the House of Commons.  Members of Parliament usually carry the flag of a national political party.  In Canada there are 5 well-recognized parties: 1. Conservative Party 2. Liberal Party 3. National Democratic Party 4. Bloc Québécois (no candidates outside Quebec) 5. Green Party  Sometimes MP’s choose to run as independents, where they have no political party affiliation.  Opposition

Elections  In each of the 308 federal ridings (areas), the MP is elected by the voters using a single member plurality system (first past the post).  In this system, the candidate with the most votes (even if that number is less than 50% of all votes) becomes the riding’s MP.  The MP is responsible for making sure that the views and opinions of the people in his or her riding are represented in the House of Commons.

Your Member of Parliament (MP) and Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Kyle Peterson MP for Newmarket- Aurora. Member of the Liberal Party Chris Ballard – MPP for Newmarket- Aurora. Member of the Liberal Party

Premier  Kathleen Wynne  First minister of the province of Ontario  Party: Liberal  Elected head of government  Leader of the political party with the most seats in Ontario’s Parliament  Most powerful person in Provincial Parliament  The Premier and her personally appointed cabinet carry out the day-to- day decisions of the provincial government

What Can You Do? 1. VOTE! You must be 18 years of age to vote in a federal election. 2. Join a political party. Youth as young as 14 can become active members in their political party of choice. 3. Write a letter to your Member of Parliament. 4. Talk to your friends about politics. 5. Read the newspaper, watch the news, stay up to speed! Members of a democracy have a responsibility to make informed decisions. 

Step 4: Who should you contact about your issue? What politicians are responsible for your issue?