How Canadians Govern Themselves - Parlement du Canada

How Canadians Govern Themselvesrepresented by the Governor General,is the head of state, and the PrimeMinister is the head of the Government.Does that make any real difference?Yes: in Canada, the head of state can, inexceptional circumstances, protectParliament and the people against aPrime Minister and Ministers who mayforget that “minister” means “servant,”and may try to make themselvesmasters. For example, the head of statecould refuse to let a Cabinet dissolve anewly elected House of Commonsbefore it could even meet, or couldrefuse to let Ministers bludgeon thepeople into submission by a continuousseries of general elections. The Americanhead of state cannot restrain theAmerican head of government becausethey are the same person.For another thing, presidentialcongressionalgovernment is based on aseparation of powers. The AmericanPresident cannot be a member of eitherHouse of Congress. Neither can any ofthe members of his or her Cabinet.Neither the President nor any memberof the Cabinet can appear in Congressto introduce a bill, or defend it, oranswer questions, or rebut attacks onpolicies. No member of either Housecan be President or a member ofthe Cabinet.Parliamentary-cabinet government isbased on a concentration of powers.The Prime Minister and every otherMinister must by custom (though notby law) be a member of one House orthe other, or get a seat in one House orthe other within a short time ofappointment. All government billsmust be introduced by a Minister orsomeone speaking on his or her behalf,and Ministers must appear inParliament to defend government bills,answer daily questions on governmentactions or policies, and rebut attacks onsuch actions or policies.Canadian and American Government26Congress meets in the Capitol, in Washington, D.C.Photo: Dianne Brydon