How Canadians Govern Themselves - Parlement du Canada

How Canadians Govern ThemselvesThe Institutions of Our Federal Government38The party that wins the largest numberof seats in a general election ordinarilyforms the Government. Its leader isasked by the Governor Generalto become Prime Minister. If thegovernment in office before an electioncomes out of the election without aclear majority, it has the right to meetthe new House of Commons and seewhether it can get enough support fromthe minor parties to give it a majority.This happened in 1925-26, 1962 and 1972.The second largest party (or the largestparty in the instance when thegovernment in office does not win thehighest number of seats but is able toform a government with the support ofminor parties) becomes the OfficialAreaSeatsOntario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Quebec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75British Columbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Manitoba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Saskatchewan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Nova Scotia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11New Brunswick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Newfoundland and Labrador . . . . . . . . . . .7Prince Edward Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Northwest Territories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Nunavut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Yukon Territory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Total 308Opposition and its leader becomes theperson holding the recognized positionof Leader of the Opposition. The Leaderof the Opposition gets the same salaryas a Minister. The leader of any partythat has at least 12 seats also gets ahigher salary than an ordinary Memberof the House of Commons. These partiesalso get public money for research.Why? Because we want criticism, wewant watchfulness, we want thepossibility of an effective alternativegovernment if we are displeased withthe one we have. The party systemreflects the waves of opinion as theyrise and wash through the country.There is much froth, but deep swellsmove beneath them, and they set thecourse of the ship.THE PRIME MINISTERAs we have already noted, the primeministership (premiership), like theparties, is not created by law, though itis recognized by the law. The PrimeMinister is normally a Member of theHouse of Commons (there have beentwo from the Senate, from 1891 to 1892and from 1894 to 1896). A non-Membercan hold the office but, by custom, mustseek election to a seat very soon. APrime Minister may lose his or her seatin an election, but can remain in officeas long as the party has sufficientsupport in the House of Commons tobe able to govern, though again, he orshe must, by custom, win a seat verypromptly. The traditional way ofarranging this is to have a Member ofthe party resign, thereby creating avacancy, which gives the defeatedPrime Minister the opportunity to run