Government of Canada - wikipedia Government of Canada Her Majesty 's Government Gouvernement de Sa Majesté Federal The bilingual Government of Canada wordmark Formation 1867 Country Canada Website canada.ca Crown Head of state Queen Elizabeth II Viceregal representative Governor General Julie Payette Seat Rideau Hall Legislative ( Queen - in - Parliament ) Legislature Parliament Meeting place Centre Block Executive ( Queen - in - Council ) Main body Queen 's Privy Council for Canada Leader President of the Privy Council Main organ Cabinet Head of government Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Meeting place Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council Judicial ( Queen on the Bench ) Court Supreme court Canada This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Canada Government The Crown Monarch ( Elizabeth II ) Governor General ( Julie Payette ) Monarchy in the provinces Lieutenant governors Executive ( Queen - in - Council ) Queen 's Privy Council Prime minister ( Justin Trudeau ) Cabinet ( 29th ministry ) Ministries President of the Privy Council Clerk of the Privy Council Privy Council Office Civil Service Provincial and territorial executive councils Premiers Legislative ( Queen - in - Parliament ) Federal parliament Senate Speaker of the Senate Government Leader in the Senate Opposition Leader in the Senate Senate divisions House of Commons Speaker of the house Government Leader in the house Opposition Leader in the house Her Majesty 's Loyal Opposition Leader of the Opposition Shadow cabinet Provincial and territorial parliaments Judicial ( Queen - on - the - Bench ) Court system Supreme court Federal chief justice ( Richard Wagner ) Provincial and territorial courts Provincial chief justices Constitution British North America Acts Peace, order, and good government Charter of Rights and Freedoms Elections Federal electoral districts Federal electoral system 42nd federal election ( 2015 ) Provincial electoral districts Politics of the provinces Local government Municipal government Related topics Federalism Structure of the federal government Constitutional law Royal prerogative Regions Political culture Foreign relations Office - holders Political movements Aboriginal self - government First Nations bands Other countries Atlas The Government of Canada ( French : Gouvernement du Canada ), formally Her Majesty 's Government ( French : Gouvernement de Sa Majesté ), is the federal administration of Canada. In Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen - in - Council. In both senses, the current construct was established at Confederation through the Constitution Act, 1867 -- as a federal constitutional monarchy, wherein the Canadian Crown acts as the core, or `` the most basic building block, '' of its Westminster - style parliamentary democracy. The Crown is thus the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Canadian government. Further elements of governance are outlined in the rest of the Canadian Constitution, which includes written statutes, court rulings, and unwritten conventions developed over centuries. The monarch ( currently Queen Elizabeth II ) is personally represented by the Governor General of Canada ( currently Julie Payette ). The Queen 's Privy Council for Canada is the body that advises the sovereign or viceroy on the exercise of executive power. However, in practice, that task is performed only by the Cabinet, a committee within the Privy Council composed of ministers of the Crown, who are drawn from and responsible to the elected House of Commons in parliament. The Cabinet is headed by the prime minister ( currently Justin Trudeau ), who is appointed by the governor general after securing the confidence of the House of Commons. Contents 1 Usage 2 Monarchy 3 Executive power 4 Legislative power 5 Judicial power 6 Federalism 7 Public understanding 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links Usage The wordmark of the Government of Canada In Canadian English, the word government is used to refer both to the whole set of institutions that govern the country ( as in American usage, but where Britons would use state ), and to the current political leadership ( as in British usage, but where Americans would use administration ). In federal department press releases, the government has sometimes been referred to by the phrase ( last name of prime minister ) Government ; this terminology has been commonly employed in the media. In late 2010, an informal instruction from the Office of the Prime Minister urged government departments to consistently use in all department communications the term ( at that time Harper Government ) in place of Government of Canada. The same cabinet earlier directed its press department to use the phrase Canada 's New Government. Monarchy Main article : Monarchy of Canada Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Canada, wearing her Canadian insignia as Sovereign of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit As per the Constitution Acts of 1867 and 1982, Canada is a constitutional monarchy, wherein the role of the reigning sovereign is both legal and practical, but not political. The Crown is regarded as a corporation sole, with the monarch, vested as she is with all powers of state, at the centre of a construct in which the power of the whole is shared by multiple institutions of government acting under the sovereign 's authority. The executive is thus formally called the Queen - in - Council, the legislature the Queen - in - Parliament, and the courts as the Queen on the Bench. Royal Assent is required to enact laws and, as part of the Royal Prerogative, the royal sign - manual gives authority to letters patent and orders in council, though the authority for these acts stems from the Canadian populace and, within the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy, the sovereign 's direct participation in any of these areas of governance is limited. The Royal Prerogative also includes summoning, proroguing, and dissolving parliament in order to call an election, and extends to foreign affairs : the negotiation and ratification of treaties, alliances, international agreements, and declarations of war ; the accreditation of Canadian, and receipt of foreign, diplomats ; and the issuance of passports. The person who is monarch of Canada ( currently Queen Elizabeth II ) is also the monarch of 15 other countries in the Commonwealth of Nations, though, he or she reigns separately as King or Queen of Canada, an office that is `` truly Canadian '' and `` totally independent from that of the Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms ''. On the advice of the Canadian Prime Minister, the sovereign appoints a federal viceregal representative -- the Governor General of Canada ( currently Julie Payette ) -- who, since 1947, is permitted to exercise almost all of the monarch 's Royal Prerogative, though there are some duties which must be specifically performed by, or bills that require assent by, the king or queen. Executive power Main articles : Queen 's Privy Council for Canada and Cabinet of Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada 's head of government The government is defined by the constitution as the Queen acting on the advice of her privy council. However, the Privy Council -- consisting mostly of former members of parliament, chief justices of the supreme court, and other elder statesmen -- rarely meets in full. As the stipulations of responsible government require that those who directly advise the monarch and governor general on how to exercise the Royal Prerogative be accountable to the elected House of Commons, the day - to - day operation of government is guided only by a sub-group of the Privy Council made up of individuals who hold seats in parliament. This body of senior ministers of the Crown is the Cabinet. One of the main duties of the Crown is to ensure that a democratic government is always in place, which means appointing a prime minister ( at present Justin Trudeau ) to thereafter head the Cabinet. Thus, the governor general must appoint as prime minister the person who holds the confidence of the House of Commons ; in practice, this is typically the leader of the political party that holds more seats than any other party in that chamber, currently the Liberal Party. Should no party hold a majority in the commons, the leader of one party -- either the one with the most seats or one supported by other parties -- will be called by the governor general to form a minority government. Once sworn in by the viceroy, the prime minister holds office until he or she resigns or is removed by the governor general, after either a motion of no confidence or his party 's defeat in a general election. The monarch and governor general typically follow the near - binding advice of their ministers. It is important to note, however, that the Royal Prerogative belongs to the Crown and not to any of the ministers, who rule `` in trust '' for the monarch and, upon losing the confidence of the commons, must relinquish the Crown 's power back to it, whereupon a new government, which can hold the lower chamber 's confidence, is installed by the governor general. The royal and viceroyal figures may unilaterally use these powers in exceptional constitutional crisis situations. Politicians can sometimes try to use to their favour the complexity of the relationship between the monarch, viceroy, ministers, and parliament, and the public 's general unfamiliarity with it. Legislative power Main article : Parliament of Canada The Centre Block of the Canadian parliament buildings on Parliament Hill The Parliament of Canada, the bicameral national legislature located on Parliament Hill in the national capital of Ottawa, consists of the Queen ( represented by the governor general ), the appointed Senate ( upper house ), and the elected House of Commons ( lower house ). The governor general summons and appoints each of the 105 senators on the advice of the prime minister, while the 338 members of the House of Commons ( Members of Parliament ) are directly elected by eligible voters in the Canadian populace, with each member representing a single electoral district for a period mandated by law of not more than four years ; the constitution mandates a maximum of five years. Per democratic tradition, the House of Commons is the dominant branch of parliament ; the Senate and Crown rarely oppose its will. The Senate, thus, reviews legislation from a less partisan standpoint. The Constitution Act, 1867, outlines that the governor general is responsible for summoning parliament in the Queen 's name. A parliamentary session lasts until a prorogation, after which, without ceremony, both chambers of the legislature cease all legislative business until the governor general issues another royal proclamation calling for a new session to begin. After a number of such sessions, each parliament comes to an end via dissolution. As a general election typically follows, the timing of a dissolution is usually politically motivated, with the prime minister selecting a moment most advantageous to his or her political party. The end of a parliament may also be necessary, however, if the majority of Members of Parliament revoke their confidence in the Prime Minister 's ability to govern, or the legally mandated ( as per the Canada Elections Act ) four - year maximum is reached ; no parliament has been allowed to expire in such a fashion. Judicial power Main article : Court system of Canada Supreme Court Building in Ottawa The sovereign is responsible for rendering justice for all her subjects, and is thus traditionally deemed the fount of justice. However, she does not personally rule in judicial cases ; instead the judicial functions of the Royal Prerogative are performed in trust and in the Queen 's name by officers of Her Majesty 's courts. The Supreme Court of Canada -- the country 's court of last resort -- has nine justices appointed by the governor general on recommendation by the prime minister and led by the Chief Justice of Canada, and hears appeals from decisions rendered by the various appellate courts from the provinces and territories. Below this is the Federal Court, which hears cases arising under certain areas of federal law. It works in conjunction with the Federal Court of Appeal and Tax Court of Canada. Federalism Main article : Canadian federalism The powers of the parliaments in Canada are limited by the constitution, which divides legislative abilities between the federal and provincial governments ; in general, the legislatures of the provinces may only pass laws relating to topics explicitly reserved for them by the constitution, such as education, provincial officers, municipal government, charitable institutions, and `` matters of a merely local or private nature, '' while any matter not under the exclusive authority of the provincial legislatures is within the scope of the federal parliament 's power. Thus, the parliament at Ottawa alone can pass laws relating to, amongst other things, the postal service, the census, the military, criminal law, navigation and shipping, fishing, currency, banking, weights and measures, bankruptcy, copyrights, patents, First Nations, and naturalization. In some cases, however, the jurisdictions of the federal and provincial parliaments may be more vague. For instance, the federal parliament regulates marriage and divorce in general, but the solemnization of marriage is regulated only by the provincial legislatures. Other examples include the powers of both the federal and provincial parliaments to impose taxes, borrow money, punish crimes, and regulate agriculture. Public understanding Further information : Monarchy of Canada § Public understanding Polls have suggested Canadians generally do not have a solid understanding of civics, which has been theorised to be a result of less attention being given to the subject in provincial education curricula, beginning in the 1960s. By 2008, a poll showed only 24 % of respondents could name the Queen as head of state ; Senator Lowell Murray wrote five years earlier : `` The Crown has become irrelevant to most Canadian 's understanding of our system of Government. '' John Robson opined in 2015 : `` intellectually, voters and commentators succumb to the mistaken notion that we elect ' governments ' of prime ministers and cabinets with untrammelled authority, that indeed ideal ' democracy ' consists precisely in this kind of plebiscitary autocracy. '' Politicians have, on occasion, taken advantage of such misunderstandings, as when then members of the Cabinet, headed by Stephen Harper, suggested in 2008 a change of government by way of a non-confidence vote by a coalition of opposition parties was undemocratic and tantamount to a coup d'état and Harper in 2015 stated Canadian voters elect governments. See also Book : Canada Canadian politics portal Structure of the Canadian federal government Politics of Canada. gc.ca Notes Jump up ^ See ' Responsibilities ' and Note 1 at Cabinet of Canada. Jump up ^ It was said by Helen Forsey : `` The inherent complexity and subtlety of this type of constitutional situation can make it hard for the general public to fully grasp the implications. That confusion gives an unscrupulous government plenty of opportunity to oversimplify and misrepresent, making much of the alleged conflict between popular democracy -- supposedly embodied in the Prime Minister -- and the constitutional mechanisms at the heart of responsible government, notably the ' reserve powers ' of the Crown, which gets portrayed as illegitimate. '' As examples, she cited the campaign of William Lyon Mackenzie King following the King -- Byng Affair of 1926 and Stephen Harper 's comments during the 2008 -- 2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute. References ^ Jump up to : MacLeod, Kevin S. 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How Canadians Govern Themselves ( PDF ) ( 6 ed. ). Ottawa : Queen 's Printer for Canada. p. 1. ISBN 0 - 662 - 39689 - 8. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 25 March 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2008. Jump up ^ Marleau, Robert ; Montpetit, Camille ( 2000 ). `` House of Commons > 1. Parliamentary Institutions ''. Queen 's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 28 August 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2009. Jump up ^ MacLeod 2008, p. 16 Jump up ^ Russell, Peter ( 1983 ), `` Bold Statecraft, Questionable Jurisprudence '', in Banting, Keith G. ; Simeon, Richard, And no one cheered : federalism, democracy, and the Constitution Act, Toronto : Taylor & Francis, p. 217, ISBN 978 - 0 - 458 - 95950 - 1 Jump up ^ Brode, Patrick ( 1 May 2006 ), `` War power and the Royal Prerogative '', Law Times, retrieved 22 October 2012 Jump up ^ Elizabeth II ( 2006 ). `` Canadian Passport Order '' ( PDF ). 4.4. Ottawa : Queen 's Printer for Canada ( published 28 June 2006 ). Retrieved 19 May 2009. 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Retrieved 18 May 2009. Jump up ^ Neitsch, Alfred Thomas ( 2008 ). `` A Tradition of Vigilance : The Role of Lieutenant Governor in Alberta '' ( PDF ). Canadian Parliamentary Review. Ottawa : Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. 30 ( 4 ) : 23. Retrieved 22 May 2009. Jump up ^ MacLeod 2008, p. 8 Jump up ^ Nathan Tidridge ( 2011 ). Canada 's Constitutional Monarchy : An Introduction to Our Form of Government. Dundurn. p. 65. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4597 - 0084 - 0. Jump up ^ Victoria 1867, IV. 17 Jump up ^ Victoria 1867, IV. 24 Jump up ^ Elizabeth II ( 31 May 2000 ), Canada Elections Act, 56.1. 2, Ottawa : Queen 's Printer for Canada, retrieved 20 November 2009 Jump up ^ `` Debates of the Senate ( Hansard ), 2nd Session, 36th Parliament, Volume 138, Issue 29 ''. Parliamentary Debates ( Hansard ). Senate. 17 February 2000. col. 1500 -- 1510. Jump up ^ Federal Court. `` About the Court > Jurisdiction ''. Queen 's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 20 November 2009. Jump up ^ Elizabeth II ( 27 March 2002 ), Courts Administration Service Act, 2. a, Ottawa : Queen 's Printer for Canada, retrieved 18 November 2009 Jump up ^ Victoria 1867, VI. 92 Jump up ^ Victoria 1867, VI. 91 Jump up ^ Jackson, Michael D. ( 2013 ), The Crown and Canadian Federalism, Dundurn Press, p. 11, ISBN 978 - 1 - 4597 - 0989 - 8, retrieved 6 June 2014 Jump up ^ Tidridge, Nathan ( 2011 ), Canada 's Constitutional Monarchy : An Introduction to Our Form of Government, Toronto : Dundurn Press, p. 19, ISBN 978 - 1 - 4597 - 0084 - 0 Jump up ^ `` In the Wake of Constitutional Crisis : New Survey Demonstrates that Canadians Lack Basic Understanding of Our Country 's Parliamentary System '' ( PDF ). Toronto : Ipsos Reid. 15 December 2008 : 1. Retrieved 18 May 2010. Jump up ^ Murray, Lowell ( 2003 ), Joyal, Serge Joyal, ed., ' Which Criticisms are Founded ? ' Protecting Canadian Democracy : The Senate You Never Knew, Montreal : McGill - Queen 's University Press, p. 136 Jump up ^ Robson, John ( 2 November 2015 ). `` Trudeau 's menacing promise of electoral reform ''. National Post. Retrieved 5 November 2015. Jump up ^ Akin, David ; de Souza, Mike ; Mayeda, Andrew ; O'Neill, Juliet ( 2 December 2008 ). `` Duceppe, Dion, Layton form coalition Gov. Gen. told NDP, BQ, Grits ready to form new government ''. CanWest. Retrieved 3 July 2009. Jump up ^ Urquhart, Ian ( 9 August 2015 ). `` A Conservative minority government ? Not possible ''. Toronto Star. Retrieved 7 November 2015. Further reading Bourinot, John George ( 2008 ), Flint, Thomas Barnard, ed., Parliamentary Procedure and Practice in the Dominion of Canada ( 4th ed. ), Lawbook Exchange, ISBN 978 - 1 - 58477 - 881 - 3 Dawson, R. MacGregor ; Dawson, W.F. ( 1989 ). Ward, Norman, ed. Democratic Government in Canada. Toronto : University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0 - 8020 - 6703 - 4. Retrieved 14 January 2011. Johnson, David ( 2006 ), Thinking government : public sector management in Canada ( 2nd ed. ), Broadview Press, ISBN 1 - 55111 - 779 - 7 Hale, Geoffrey ( 2006 ), Uneasy partnership : the politics of business and government in Canada, Broadview Press, ISBN 978 - 1 - 55111 - 504 - 7 Malcolmson, Patrick ; Myers, Richard ( 2009 ), The Canadian Regime : An Introduction to Parliamentary Government in Canada ( 4th ed. ), University of Toronto Press, ISBN 978 - 1 - 4426 - 0047 - 8 Morton, Frederick Lee ( 2002 ), Law, politics, and the judicial process in Canada, Frederick Lee, ISBN 1 - 55238 - 046 - 7 Roy, Jeffrey ( 2006 ), E-government in Canada : transformation for the digital age, University of Ottawa Press, ISBN 978 - 0 - 7766 - 0617 - 0 Roy, Jeffrey ( 2007 ), Business and government in Canada, University of Ottawa Press, ISBN 978 - 0 - 7766 - 0658 - 3 External links Government of Canada ( Official ) Public Accounts of Canada, from 1995, in pdf Wayback Times : Archives of the Government of Canada website permanent dead link ) Information on the Government of Canada Federal Government Topics related to Government of Canada Departments of the Government of Canada Principal departments Agriculture and Agri - 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in - Council Queen - in - Parliament Queen - on - the - Bench Queen 's peace The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces The Canadian Crown and Aboriginal peoples Legal Royal charter Queen 's Consent Royal commissions Crown corporations Crown copyright Queen 's Printer Crown Collection Ceremonial and symbolic Canadian royal symbols Title and style of the Canadian monarch Chapels Royal Royal tours of Canada 1786 -- 1999 2000 -- present Related Canadian Secretary to the Queen History of monarchy in Canada Debate on the monarchy in Canada Constitution of Canada List of constitutional documents Quasi-constitutional law Pre-Confederation constitutional documents Iroquois constitution Mi'kmaq constitution Constitution of New France Royal Proclamation of 1763 Quebec Act of 1774 Constitutional Act of 1791 Declaration of Independence of Lower Canada ( 1838 ) Report on the Affairs of British North America ( 1839 ) Act of Union 1840 Confederation Charlottetown Conference, 1864 Quebec Conference, 1864 Quebec Resolutions London Conference, 1866 Fathers of Confederation Constitution Act, 1867 Canadian federalism Preamble Section 121 Section 125 Powers under Section 91 Peace, order, and good government Trade and commerce Criminal law Matters excepted from s. 92 Powers under Section 92 Licensing Works and undertakings Property and civil rights Administration of justice Fines and penalties for provincial laws Matters of a local or private nature Amendments and other constitutional documents 1867 -- 1982 British North America Acts, 1867 -- 1982 Manitoba Act, 1870 Alberta Act, 1905 Saskatchewan Act, 1905 Statute of Westminster, 1931 Newfoundland Act, 1949 Patriation Fulton -- Favreau formula Victoria Charter Kitchen Accord / Night of the Long Knives Constitution Act, 1982 Part I -- Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Preamble 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 16.1 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 Part II -- Rights of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada 35 Part III -- Equalization and regional disparities 36 Part VII -- General 52 59 Conventions At Her Majesty 's pleasure Cabinet collective responsibility Disallowance and reservation Responsible government Fusion of powers Queen - in - Parliament Implied repeal Individual ministerial responsibility Interpellation Question Period Parliamentary privilege Parliamentary sovereignty Reserve power Royal prerogative Constitutional debate since 1982 Triple - E Senate Meech Lake Accord Charlottetown Accord Calgary Declaration Other unsuccessful amendments Interpretation of the Constitution Aboriginal self - government Pith and substance Double aspect Equal authenticity rule Paramountcy Living tree Implied Bill of Rights Interjurisdictional immunity Purposive theory Dialogue principle Provincial constitutional law Constitution of Alberta Constitution of Quebec Constitution Act ( British Columbia ) Category WikiProject Canadian law Sources Constitution Federal statutes Provincial statutes Core areas Constitutional Administrative Criminal Contract Tort Property Other areas Aboriginal Civil and human rights Family Immigration and refugees Intellectual property Copyright Patent Trademark Labour and employment Maritime Courts Supreme Court Federal Court Appeal Courts of Appeal Superior Provincial Education Law school Law School Admission Test Call to the bar Government of Canada ( by province or territory ) Provinces Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Territories Northwest Territories Nunavut Yukon Book Category Portal WikiProject Governments of North America Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States Dependencies and other territories Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curaçao Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saba Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Government_of_Canada&oldid=848469737 '' Categories : 1867 establishments in Canada Government of Canada Politics of Canada Westminster system governments Governments by country Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from March 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Use dmy dates from July 2016 Articles containing French - 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Question: what is the executive branch of government in canada
Answer: Queen's Privy Council for Canada