1. Executive Branch of Government

2. Canadian Government
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch

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

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

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

7. 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)

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

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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

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

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

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

15. 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

16. 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

17. Departments: Health Canada