Canada Past and Present: A Citizenship Education Guide

ACTIVITY 18 FORMING PARLIAMENT 1. Look at the mock provincial election results below and answer the following questions for each election: • Who has the constitutional right to form the next government? • Which party’s leader will be premier? • Is it a majority or minority government? CLASSROOM DISCUSSION: In elections 2 and 3, which party holds more power? Explain why the Arctic Hare Party and the Tundra Party have great influence even though they do not have many seats. Hint: Think about how minority governments work. EXTENSION: Federally, prime ministers are not meant to be experts on every aspect of governing, so they assign responsibilities, or “portfolios,” to individuals who become knowledgeable in that area. These people are called ministers and together they form the Cabinet. In provincial and territorial governments, the premier also creates a Cabinet. Examine the ministries created by your current provincial/territorial government to learn more about what the government believes are important priorities for the province/territory. Cabinet postings can usually be found on the websites of the premiers. Compare the ministries in your province or territory with another one. Are they all the same? Why might ministries differ based on province or territory? Policing in Canada The two main responsibilities of the police are to keep Canadians safe and to enforce the law. There are many types of police forces in Canada, and they have different roles. Read about policing and law enforcement in the Police in Canada article on The Canadian Encyclopedia . The Parliament buildings in Ottawa (Dreamstime/ Py2000/16339360). The Senate Chamber in Ottawa (Dreamstime/ Ken Pilon/2960370). Election 1 Ontario 2011 Election 2 Nova Soctia 2017 Election 3 Manitoba 2014 Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II on royal tour in Ottawa, 2010 (Dreamstime/Intoit/14956284). An RCMP officer in uniform in Vancouver in 2016 (Dreamstime/Brian Ganter/75606622). Sand Cherry Party: 22 Seats Harbour Porpoise Party: 21 Seats Tundra Party: 3 Seats Beaver Party: 23 Seats Salmon Party: 20 Seats Arctic Hare Party: 9 Seats Loon Party: 76 Seats Douglas Fir: 40 Seats Puffin Party: 7 Seats Tungsten Party: 1 Seat 15