R–17 RESOURCE PAGES The Government of Canada CANADA IS A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY The monarch of the United Kingdom is also the monarch of Canada. It is largely a symbolic role. The power to govern rests in the Crown (the monarch) but is entrusted to the government on behalf of the people. PARLIAMENT Canada’s Parliament is made up of the monarch, the Senate, and the House of Commons. The Monarch The monarch is Canada’s Head of State and is represented in Canada by the governor general, whose most important responsibility is to ensure Canada always has a prime minister. The Senate The Senate is the upper house of our Parliament; its job is to provide second thought to legislation and issues of concern to the nation. Senators are appointed by the prime minister, not elected. A bill proposed in the House of Commons must be agreed to by the Senate to become law. House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of our Parliament. It is made up of elected officials—the members of Parliament (MPs). The role of the House of Commons is to consider legislation; the members of the House present their constituents’ issues, discuss the country’s concerns, and call on the government to explain its actions. The Executive Branch The executive branch is made up of the monarch, the prime minister, and the cabinet. The prime minister appoints some of the members of Parliament to the cabinet by assigning them the responsibility for specific ministries. Cabinet members, as ministers, are responsible for making sure that the laws that apply to their ministries are upheld. The Judicial Branch Judicial independence is important in our government; under the Constitution, Canada’s judicial system is separate from the other two branches of government. This independence is intended to allow judges to make decisions free of influence and based only on fact and the law. The Supreme Court of Canada is Canada’s highest court and the final court of appeal. 1. Sir John A. Macdonald . . . 1867–1873 2. Alexander Mackenzie. . . .1873–1878 3. Sir John A. Macdonald . . . 1878–1891 4. Sir John J. C. Abbott . . . . 1891–1892 5. Sir John S. D. Thompson. . .1892–1894 6. Sir Mackenzie Bowell . . . .1894–1896 7. Sir Charles Tupper. . . . . . . . 1896 8. Sir Wilfrid Laurier. . . . . 1896–1911 9. Sir Robert L. Borden. . . . 1911–1920 10. Arthur Meighen. . . . . . 1920–1921 CANADIAN PRIME MINISTERS 11. W. L. Mackenzie King . . . .1921–1926 12. Arthur Meighen. . . . . . . . . 1926 13. W. L. Mackenzie King . . . .1926–1930 14. Richard B. Bennett . . . . .1930–1935 15. W. L. Mackenzie King . . . .1935–1948 16. Louis St. Laurent. . . . . .1948–1957 17. John G. Diefenbaker. . . . 1957–1963 18. Lester B. Pearson . . . . . 1963–1968 19. Pierre Elliott Trudeau. . . .1968–1979 20. Joseph Clark. . . . . . . 1979–1980 21. Pierre Elliott Trudeau. . . .1980–1984 22. John Turner. . . . . . . . . . 1984 23. Brian Mulroney. . . . . . 1984–1993 24. Kim Campbell. . . . . . . . . 1993 25. Jean Chrétien. . . . . . .1993–2003 26. Paul Martin. . . . . . . .2003–2006 27. Stephen Harper. . . . . . . . . . .2006–2015 28. Justin Trudeau. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2015– JUDICIAL BRANCH EXECUTIVE BRANCH FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA PROVINCIAL COURTS MONARCH Represented in Canada by the Governor General PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET SUPREME COURT OF CANADA SENATE HOUSE OF COMMONS LE LEGISLATIV BRANCH
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