Governance in Canada

Government impacts my life personally. Agree or Disagree: Government impacts my life personally.

Name all the activities you do on a daily or weekly basis Let’s make a list: Name all the activities you do on a daily or weekly basis How does government affect these activities? What might happen without government involvement?

Federal State 3 Levels of government: Federal, Provincial/Territorial, Municipal Whoever is closest to the matter governs it (e.g. waste collection) Some responsibilities are shared (e.g. environment)

Parliamentary Democracy We elect members to represent us at each level of government (e.g. Member or Parliament=FEDERAL, Member of Provincial Parliament=PROV, City Councillor=MUNICIPAL) 338 MP’s, 107 MPP’s, 44 City Councillors Leader of the political party with most votes determines leader of government (e.g. Prime Minister/Premier)

Constitutional Democracy (Monarchy) Head of State is a hereditary sovereign (Queen or King) Sovereign represented by Governor General (GG) + Lieutenant Governor (LG) Similar roles: (e.g. ensure there is a PM or Premier, and a functioning government; call elections, give assent to acts of parliament – official signature of approval, etc.) Traditional/Ceremonial role

Learning Goals To understand how various levels of government function and make decisions so that you can effectively engage in the political process

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GADdPGkVuss

population of approximately 35 million people Canada: 2nd largest country geographically in the world today spanning 6 time zones population of approximately 35 million people very difficult for a single government to take care of all the responsibilities that exist throughout the nation In 1867, because Canada was physically such a large country with so many different needs, we adopted a federal system of government that had three levels BNA (British North America Act of 1867) outlined the system and separation of powers Federal, Provincial and Municipal

This style of government involves dividing the powers into national and various regional levels This allows the country to address the needs of various areas that may have specific expectations from their government There are certain aspects of Canadian society that simply could not be addressed by one level of government For instance, Nunavut (the newest territory) has completely different needs from a government than does Metropolitan Toronto Each level of government deals with different areas

Levels of Government and Their Assigned Responsibilities Federal Provincial Municipal Financial Welfare Parks and Recreation Canada Post Natural Resources Fire Service Foreign Affairs Supervision of Municipalities Local Police Service Citizenship Provincial Taxation Water Services Economic Policy Provincial Prisons Snow Clearance Taxation Health Care Local Schools Penitentiaries Worker's Compensation Plan Road Maintenance Sea Coast / Inland Fishing Education Funding Libraries Aboriginal Affairs O.P.P. Recycling Marriage and Divorce Drivers Licencing Sewage Employment Insurance Highways Garbage Collection Government Spending   Public Transit Shipping and Navigation National Defence Criminal Laws Residual Powers: The Federal Government is responsible for all areas that are not directly referred to in the Constitution.