Slide Deck 9: Provincial Government in Alberta

How does the provincial government work?

Parliamentary Democracy Canada is a parliamentary democracy; we elect representatives to our federal parliament and provincial and territorial legislatures to make laws These elected representatives are usually associated with a political party (a group of individuals with a shared vision and similar political beliefs whose intention is to achieve power) The party with the most representatives forms government and their leader becomes the leader of the government

Three Branches of Government In a parliamentary system, there are three branches or divisions: Executive (creates policies and implements legislation) Legislative (passes laws and legislation, scrutinizes government activity) Judicial (oversees and interprets laws)

Alberta’s Legislative Branch Debates, amends and passes laws and legislation, with approval by the Crown Also responsible for scrutinizing government activity Consists of all elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)

Legislative Branch: The Alberta Legislature

Alberta’s Executive Branch (“The Government”) Operates, implements and enforces all the laws created by the legislative branch Comprised of: The Crown, represented by the lieutenant governor The premier The executive council, also known as Cabinet, made up of cabinet ministers (appointed by the premier) Each cabinet minister manages one of the departments (e.g., Culture and Tourism, Economic Development, Municipal Affairs, Children’s Services) The executive council works with civil service staff within each provincial ministry (Service Alberta)

Executive Branch: Premier Rachel Notley speaks at cabinet meeting in the Alberta Legislative Building

Alberta’s Judicial Branch Interprets the law and punishes those who violate established laws, rules and regulations Comprised of: Court of Appeal of Alberta headed by the Chief Justice of Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Provincial Court The judicial branch operates independently and separately from the executive and legislative branches of government Catherine Fraser Chief Justice Alberta Court of Appeal

Judicial Branch: Alberta Court of Appeal

Do you agree that the judiciary should be independent of the other two branches of government? Why or why not?

Responsible Government In our system of parliamentary democracy, the executive branch (or “the government”) must have the support of a majority (or more than half) of elected representatives in order to govern. If the government loses a confidence vote in the assembly, the government must resign.

Majority vs Minority Government A majority government results when one political party wins more than half of all seats in the Assembly. A minority government occurs when a governing party wins less than half of the seats, but is able to maintain the support of a majority of the MLAs. Of the other parties in the legislature, the party that holds the largest number of seats becomes the Official Opposition.

What do you think the challenges are for a minority government?

In the 2019 Alberta provincial election, Albertans will elect 87 Members of the Legislative Assembly. Question - How many elected representatives does a party need in order to win a majority government in Alberta?

Reflection Questions How does the provincial government work? How does voting influence government?