Executive Branch of Government

Canadian Government Legislative Branch Executive Branch Judicial Branch

Leadership Makes policy Supervise bureaucracy Diplomacy (and military) Roles of the Executive Leadership Makes policy Supervise bureaucracy Diplomacy (and military)

Prime Minister Power comes from election as MP and party leader Organizes government Forms Cabinet Appoints ministers Manages cabinet

Prime Minister Other powers: international relations, treaties war Appointments Advises crown to dissolve Parliament Appoints senior officials

Prime Minister In Canada we do not directly elect our prime minister We vote for a candidate in our individual ridings The leader of the party that has the most Members of Parliament elected becomes Prime Minister To keep his/her position, the Prime Minister must keep the confidence of the House of Commons (easy in a majority gov’t, harder in a minority)

The PMO The PMO provides the Prime Minister with support on: Political strategy and tactics Priorities Communications

Party Discipline The Party Whip The party whip is an MP who ensures members of the party know how to vote on an issue— this person helps enforce party Discipline.

Cabinet and Policy Appointed by Prime Minister Number of Ministers varies from low 20s to high 30s and is set by the Prime Minister Ministers help create policy and make bills that go to legislature Ministers in charge of Departments

The Formal Executive Opens a session of parliament with the “speech from the throne” Gives royal assent to bills passed by parliament Has power to dissolve parliament, ask a party to form a government Governor General David Johnson

Central Agencies The key central agencies are: Privy Council Office (PCO) Treasury Board Department of Finance

Central Agencies The key role of central agencies is to ensure each government department is working towards achieve the same government goals

Privy Council Office Provides non partisan policy advice to cabinet Provides policy coordination It is headed by the Clerk of the Privy Council

Department (Ministries) Departments are responsible for providing: policy advice to the cabinet and Prime Minister Services in their area of responsibility Examples of departments are: Agriculture, Heritage, Health, National defence

Departments (Ministries) Each department has a responsible cabinet minister Departments are staffed by hired employees (public or civil servants) —some of your parents may work for the government The highest civil servant in a department is the deputy minister

Departments: Health Canada