Government Structures

Why do we have different levels of government? Canada is a huge country - approximately 10 million square kilometres To meet the needs of all regions in the country Canada has a multi-level system of government known as FEDERALISM Federalism – multi-level system of government Each level has its own leader with specific powers and responsibilities, written in Canadian Constitution

Levels of government Level of Government Who it serves Leader Municipal Local Mayor Provincial or territorial Regional Premier Federal National Prime minister

Each level of government has its own responsibilities Municipal Provincial and Territorial Federal Animal control Emergency services Garbage and sewage Land-use planning Public transit Water Education Health Environment Property and civil rights Highway Aboriginal affairs Citizenship and immigration Fisheries Foreign affairs National defence Shipping and railways

Spending by all levels in 2009 Spending by all levels of government, by level (2009) $ (Billions) % Municipal level 74 12% Provincial level 316 50% Federal level 243 38% TOTAL 631 100%

Spending by all 3 governments $ billions % Social services (employment insurance) 190 30% Health 122 19% Education 96 15% Protection (police, prisons, military) 51 8% Interest charges on debt 44 7% Transportation and communication 32 5% Resource/industry development 20 3% Environment 17 Other 59 10% TOTAL 631 100%

In 2009, all 3 levels of government spent $631 billion. Approximately $19 000 per Canadian every year. Is that more or less than you would have thought?

Do we need so many levels of government? Would you call the prime minister if your garbage wasn’t picked up properly? Would you call your local mayor to decide whether or not the country should go to war? Separate levels of government make sense because there are local issues and national issues About 3 million Canadians are employed by all levels of government to provide services to Canadians Some people feel like the cost of multiple layers of government is too expensive, others feel it is necessary to keep Canada working and meeting diverse needs

Why do we need separate branches of government? Think of government like a family – parents and children have different jobs and responsibilities, same with government Federal and provincial governments are structured into 3 branches: the LEGISLATIVE BRANCH the EXECUTIVE BRANCH the JUDICIAL BRANCH Each branch has a specific role to play

Distribution of power Legislature has the power to make laws Executive has the power to administer laws Judiciary has the power to apply laws

Legislative Branch Makes laws Elected members of Parliament that sit in the House of Commons Appointed members of the senate (they check on laws passed by the MPs in the House of Commons) * Represent citizens’ interest in government * Debate and pass new laws – they can defeat a bill passed in the H of C or send it back for revision Monitor government policies and actions

Executive Branch Set policy, present budgets to the legislature, propose legislation, and implement laws passed by the legislature Administer laws Prime minister Cabinet ministers (appointed by the PM from the elected representatives)

Judicial branch They act as an independent third party in legal disputes and clarify the law (apply the law) Strike down the law if it is unconstitutional Who are they? Judges and courts (appointed by the government however, they are safeguards to ensure that they are free to make independent decisions) – no political pressure