How Canadians Govern Themselves - Parlement du Canada

How Canadians Govern Themselvesmany times, notably to bring atomicenergy and the grain trade under exclusivenational jurisdiction). A 1940 constitutionalamendment gave Parliamentexclusive power over unemploymentinsurance and a specific section of theAct of 1867 gives it power to establishcourts “for the better administration ofthe laws of Canada.” This has enabledParliament to set up the Supreme Courtof Canada and the Federal Court.As already noted, the nationalParliament can amend the Constitutionin relation to the executive governmentof Canada and the Senate and theHouse of Commons, except that itcannot touch the office of the Queen orthe Governor General, nor thoseaspects of the Senate and the SupremeCourt of Canada entrenched by theamending formulas.Powers of the National and Provincial Governments24Though Parliament cannot transfer anyof its powers to a provincial legislature,nor a provincial legislature any of itspowers to Parliament, Parliament candelegate the administration of a federalAct to provincial agencies (as it has donewith the regulation of interprovincialand international highway traffic); anda provincial legislature can delegate theadministration of a provincial Act toa federal agency. This “administrativedelegation” is an important aspect ofthe flexibility of our constitution.