Canada Past and Present: A Citizenship Education Guide

HOW CANADA’S GOVERNMENT WORKS WORKSHEET The party that has the most seats in Parliament forms the government. The leader of the party that forms the government becomes the prime minister in a federal election, or the premier in a provincial election. The other parties are known as ‘opposition parties’ and they review and improve laws as well as hold the government accountable. Canada’s system of government is also a federation, which means it has three levels with different responsibilities: the municipal (local) level deals with things directly relating to the community of a city or town; the provincial or territorial level deals with things relating to the province or territory; and the federal government deals with issues that relate to the whole country. (To learn more about the responsibilities of the orders of government, visit the Ontario Legislative Assembly website to play the Levels of Government Game. ) Some Indigenous communities have the right to self-government which means they control some of their own affairs such as education, health, and lands. There are also 3 branches of government in Canada, meaning there are 3 sections of federal government that do different things. • The legislative branch, called Parliament, makes laws. It is made up of the Queen (represented by the Governor General), the Senate, and the House of Commons. (In the provinces and territories, this is the Lieutenant-Governor or Commissioner and the legislative assemblies.) • The executive branch is the decision-making branch that includes the Queen (represented by the Governor General), the Prime Minister, and the Cabinet Ministers. The Cabinet Ministers are MPs that the Prime Minister chooses to be in charge of a part of government (like the Minister of National Defence, Minister of Environment, etc.). This branch runs the government, makes policies, and implements laws created by the legislative branch. • The judicial branch interprets and applies laws. This is the federal court system, and the court system of the provinces and territories. This branch ensures that the ‘rule of law’ is followed, which means that the law applies equally to everyone. (This is often represented by the scales of justice, which symbolize fairness in the judicial process.) Comprehension questions Circle the correct answer to each question or statement. 1. Canada has 3 orders (levels) of government that share power and responsibility. Which of the following is NOT an order of government? a) Islander b) Provincial/Territorial c) Federal 2. The federal order of government deals with things that affect the whole country. Which of these is NOT a federal responsibility? a) International trade b) National defence c) Garbage collection 3. The provincial/territorial order of government deals with things that affect their region. Which of these is NOT a provincial/territorial responsibility? a) Education b) Healthcare c) Currency 4. The municipal order of government deals with community issues. Which of the following is NOT a municipal responsibility? a) Libraries b) National parks c) Fire services 29.