THE LEVELS AND BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT Canada’s Governmental Structure

Levels of Government There are three levels of Government in Canada:  Federal  Provincial  Municipal Try to list as many areas of daily life that each is in charge of. Watch the introductory video and answer who is in charge of each and what services they are responsible for. ex=3&list=PLJAwzEsZJnu2PR0bUtw89uIVOlSlqoFeB ex=3&list=PLJAwzEsZJnu2PR0bUtw89uIVOlSlqoFeB

Federal Government Leader: Prime Minister (Stephen Harper) Services:  Aboriginal Affairs  Citizenship and Immigration  Fisheries  Foreign Affairs  National Defence  Shipping and Railways  Currency  Criminal Law/Public Safety

Provincial Government Leader: Premier (Kathleen Wynne for Ontario) Services  Education  Health Care  Natural Resources/Environment  Transportation/Highways  Property and Civil Rights

Municipal Government Leader: Mayor/Reeve ( Sandy Shantz in Woolwich) Services:  Waste Removal  Libraries  City Transit  Parks and Recreation  Animal Control  Emergency Services  Urban Planning  Water

Levels of Government: Spending Why is Provincial spending more than Federal? Taken from: Civics and Citizenship and Statistics Canada Spending by all levels of Canadian Government, by level, 2009 $ (billions)% Municipal Level 7412% Provincial Level 31650% Federal Level 24338% Total %

Levels of Government: Spending Spending by all levels of Canadian government, by category, 2009 $ (billions)% Social Services (unemployment insurance)19030% Health12219% Education9615% Protection (police, prisons, military)518% Interest Charges on Debt447% Transportation and Communication325% Resource/Industry/Development203% Environment173% Other5910% Total631100% Discuss this information with a partner, do you agree with how the government is spending their government? Be ready to share your answer. Taken from: Civics and Citizenship and Statistics Canada

Canada’s Government Canada is a parliamentary democracy, which means we elect people to represent us in our parliament and legislatures. Canada is also a constitutional monarchy, which means that the monarch (the Queen) is our head of state. The powers of the monarchy in Canada are limited by the Constitution. The Queen abides by the decisions of the Canadian Government, but she continues to play important ceremonial and symbolic roles.

Major Questions in Canadian Politics: The Governor General Is appointed by the monarch of Canada on the recommendation of the Prime Minister Serves 4-5 years but there are no official term limits Is unelected and can speak for all Canadians Ensures that the Prime Minister and government have the confidence of parliament (51% or more of the members of the House of Commons) Q: Should the GG still have the legal power to refuse to follow the advice of an elected PM or to dismiss a PM her or she judges to be acting unconstitutionally?

How is the Canadian Government Organized What does Canada’s government look like?

BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT Governments do three basic things:  Make laws  Ensure laws are followed  Judge laws All are directly related to government’s central purpose - LAWS

BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT In democracies no one person [or group of persons] performs all three functions In autocratic states, one individual [or a small group] is in control of all three functions  he/she plays the role of maker, enforcer and judge of laws Canada is divided into three branches so that no one person can become a dictator:  Legislative  Executive  Judicial

Legislative Branch of Government Powers:  Create, change and repeal laws and regulations Members:  Parliament  Senators  Members of the House of Commons (MPs) Example:  Change the laws defining marriage in Canada.

Major Questions in Canadian Politics: The House of Commons Includes all elected members of parliament (308); represents the concerns and interests of the electorate Ensures that laws benefit all Canadians Debates government policies and actions Opposition parties make the government accountable for its decisions and actions Q: Do political parties have too much control over their members making it difficult to represent their district? Q: Are House debates more about grandstanding and making your opponent look bad to get votes instead of being about making laws and policies to improve Canada?

Major Questions in Canadian Politics: The Senate Provides more balanced representation of regions and provinces in parliament Senators are appointed to serve until age 75; they are immune from political considerations, and able to reject bad laws without fear of political penalties. Q: Senate members are unelected, yet they have the power to reject laws passed by elected members of the House of Commons. Is that undemocratic? Q: Senators are appointed by the PM, who awards Senate seats to loyal party supporters. Does that mean senators are just as politically partisan as any politician, or can they remain neutral and objective.

Trudeau Removes Liberal Senators From Caucus Watch the video: video/video-justin-trudeau-removes-liberal- senators-from-caucus/article / video/video-justin-trudeau-removes-liberal- senators-from-caucus/article / What does it mean to remove a senator from a caucus? What ramifications could this have on the Senate if all political parties (mostly just the Conservatives) did this? How does this benefit Trudeau?

Executive Branch of Government Powers:  Administer and carry out (enforce) laws and plans of the government Members:  Monarch  Prime Minister  Cabinet  Bureaucrats (or Civil Servants) Example:  Prime Minister declares a state of emergency and directs the Canadian Armed Forces to assist in snow removal.

Major Questions in Canadian Politics: The Executive Branch The Prime Minister and the Cabinet members are elected members of the House of Commons and reflect the concerns of citizens. Ensure that new laws and politics are constitutional and consistent with the beliefs and values of Canadians. Q: Have recent Prime Minister acquired too much political power? Have the role and influence of parliament been reduced too much?

Judicial Branch of Government Powers:  Interpret the laws  decide who has broken the law  assign appropriate penalties Members:  Courts (Supreme, Provincial, Small Claims, Family, etc.)  Judges Example: Should Hutterites in Alberta be required to have photos on their drivers’ licenses?

Major Questions in Canadian Politics: The Judicial Branch Judges are appointed, not elected, so that they can apply the law fairly and objectively, free from political influence. Judges have the power to challenge laws that are unfair and unconstitutional. Q: Unelected judges are increasingly rejecting laws and policies passed by elected members of parliament, based on the judges’ own interpretation of the Charter. Is that appropriate?

Pondering Questions With a partner, discuss and record answers to the following questions:  Is any branch of the government more important than the others? Why or why not?  Does having separate branches of government make the government more stable, or less so? Explain your reasoning.

Sources: Civics and Citizenship by Canadian Investigations