The 'Prime Minister of Canada' (
French:''Premier ministre du Canada''), is the
Minister of the Crown who is head of the
Government of Canada. The office is not outlined in any of the documents that constitute the written portion of the
Constitution of Canada;
executive authority is formally vested in the
Canadian Sovereign and exercised on his or her behalf by the
Governor General. The prime ministership is part of Canada's
constitutional convention tradition. The Canadian office was initially modeled after the job as it existed in the mother country at time of confederation; and the
British prime ministership, although fully developed by
1867, was not formally integrated into the
British Constitution until
1905 - hence, its absence from the document that created "one dominion under the name of Canada."
The
Prime Minister is almost invariably the leader of the
political party that holds the largest number of seats in the Canadian
House of Commons. According to Canadian protocol, all prime ministers are
styled "Right Honourable" ("Très Honorable", in French) for life.
'
Stephen Harper' is the current Prime Minister. He was appointed by
Governor General Michaëlle Jean (per
constitutional convention) as the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada, on
February 6,
2006. He is the leader of the
Conservative Party, which won 124 of 308 seats in the
last federal election. Of the total 308 seats, 124 is a plurality (a majority would be 155 seats) so Prime Minister Harper leads a minority government - that is, there are more MPs seated on the opposition benches to the left of the Speaker of the House of Commons than on the government benches to the right of the Speaker.
Qualifications and selection
The Prime Minister, along with the other ministers of the Cabinet, is formally appointed by the Governor General on behalf of the Queen. However, by constitutional convention designed to maintain stability in government, the Governor General will almost always call on the leader of the party which holds the most seats in the House of Commons to form a government.
[1]
The Prime Minister may be any
Canadian Citizen of
voting age (18 years). It is customary for the Prime Minister to also be a sitting member of the House of Commons, although two Prime Ministers have governed from the
Senate: Sir
John Joseph Caldwell Abbott and Sir
Mackenzie Bowell. (Both men, in their roles as Government Leader in the Senate, succeeded Prime Ministers who died in office in the
1890s; Canadian convention has since evolved toward the appointment of an
interim leader in such a scenario.) One Prime Minister,
William Lyon Mackenzie King, having lost his own seat in a general election while his party retained a plurality in the House of Commons, briefly governed from the hallway, until he won a by-election a few weeks later.
If the prime minister should fail to win his or her seat, a junior
Member of Parliament in a safe seat would typically resign to permit a by-election to elect that leader to a seat. However, if the leader of the governing party is changed shortly before an election is due and the new leader is not a Member of Parliament, he or she will normally await the general election before running for a seat. For example,
John Turner was briefly prime minister in 1984 without being a member of the House of Commons; he would ironically win his seat in the general election that swept his party from power. The official residence of the prime minister is
24 Sussex Drive in
Ottawa,
Ontario. All prime ministers (with the exception of
Kim Campbell) have lived there since
Louis St. Laurent in
1951. The prime minister also has a secondary residence at
Harrington Lake in
Gatineau Park near
Ottawa.
In earlier years, it was tradition that the Sovereign bestow a
knighthood on each new Canadian prime minister. As such, several carry the prefix "Sir" before their name (of the first eight prime ministers, only
Alexander Mackenzie refused knighthood). After the
Nickle Resolution of
1919, it was against policy for the Sovereign to grant titles to Canadians; the last prime minister knighted was Sir
Robert Laird Borden, who was in power when the Nickle Resolution was passed. In addition one prime minister,
Richard Bennett, was created a
viscount after his retirement and the
widow of Sir John A. Macdonald was created a
baroness.
Mandate
A prime minister does not have a fixed term of office. A
general election for every seat in the House of Commons must be called no more than five years after the most recent general election; the time limit may be exceeded only in case of war or
insurrection. The prime minister typically asks the governor general to issue a
writ of election during the government's third or fourth year in office.
Otherwise, by constitutional convention, the governor general cannot refuse a request to issue a writ of election unless dissolving Parliament would itself contravene the constitution. The last time it was necessary to refuse a prime minister's request to call an election was 1926 (see the
King-Byng Affair).
In general, a
majority government is in power three to five years before a new general election is called. A
minority government typically calls a new general election at the first opportunity when it appears able to win a majority of seats. Otherwise, it is unusual for minority governments to last more than two years owing to their vulnerability to votes of non-confidence. For example, in 1979–1980,
Joe Clark was prime minister in a minority Progressive Conservative government only six months before his government lost a motion of non-confidence and had to call another election. The new Liberal majority government took office in 1980 just nine months after the Clark government had taken office in 1979.
A prime minister is required to resign only when an opposition party wins a
majority of seats in the House. If the prime minister's party wins a plurality, he or she normally stays in office. (A prime minister may resign in this circumstance, but there is no requirement to do so.) If the prime minister's party wins a minority while an opposition party wins a plurality (i.e., more seats than any other party but less than a majority), the prime minister can attempt to remain in office by forming a coalition with other minority parties. This, however, is almost never done in Canada.
If a governing party loses a
motion of non-confidence, the prime minister — and, thus, the government — may resign, thereby allowing another party to form the government. But as this is practical only if no party in the House has a majority, the convention in Canada is to immediately ask the governor general to call a general election.
If a general election gives an opposition party a
plurality of seats, the incumbent prime minister can continue to try to form the government, but this has not been done at the federal level since 1925, although it remains an option under the constitution. The normal practice in this situation is for the prime minister to resign and for the governor general to appoint as prime minister the leader of the new largest party in the House of Commons.
Role and authority
Since the prime minister is, in practice, the most powerful member of the Canadian government, he or she is sometimes erroneously referred to as Canada's
head of state. The Canadian head of state is
Elizabeth II,
Queen of Canada, who is represented by the
Governor General of Canada. The prime minister is the
head of government. The office of Prime Minister of Canada is not mentioned in the
Canadian Constitution. In modern-day Canada, however, his/her prerogatives are largely the duties to which the constitution refers to as the job of the Governor General (who acts mostly as a
figurehead). The function, duties, responsibilities, and powers of the Prime Minister of Canada were established at Confederation, modeled upon the existing office of the
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Over time, the role of the Prime Minister of Canada has evolved, mainly gaining power over the years.
The prime minister plays a prominent role in most legislation passed by the Canadian Parliament. The majority of Canadian legislation originates in the Cabinet of Canada, which is a body selected by the prime minister, and appointed by the Governor General, largely from the ranks of his party's MPs. The Cabinet must have "unanimous" consent on all decisions they make, but in practice whether or not unanimity has been achieved is decided by the prime minister.
As the Monarch or Governor General almost always follows the advice of his or her ministers, the Prime Minister (and the PMO) essentially controls the appointments of the following positions:
★ all members of the
Cabinet;
★ vacant seats on the
Supreme Court of Canada;
★ vacant seats in the
Senate;
★ all heads of
Canadian Crown Corporations whom the prime minister may replace at any time;
★ all executive positions such as the head of the
Transportation Safety Board, the president of the
Business Development Bank;
★ all ambassadors to Foreign Countries;
★ the
Governor General of Canada;
★ the 10
Lieutenant-Governors of the Canadian provinces, and the three Commissioners of the Canadian territories ;
★ plus approximately 3,100 other government positions, the bulk of which the Prime Minister usually designates a member of his staff to appoint with his concurrence.
As to the Prime Minister's broad ''de facto'' authority over the Canadian military, see
Canadian Forces.
Former Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau is credited with consolidating power in the
Office of the Prime Minister (PMO), although the evolution can be seen throughout Canadian history. The PMO consists of the Prime Minister's political and administrative staff hired solely at the PM's discretion. By coordinating communication with the other agents in policy arenas, as well as with the central party apparatus, the PMO can wield considerable influence. This may have the positive effect of a productive parliament, which in turn provides a valid criticism of centralized power in majority governments and the PMO.
There are checks on the prime minister's power.
Cabinet or caucus revolts will bring down a sitting prime minister quickly, and even the threat of caucus revolts can persuade and/or compel a prime minister to resign the office as happened to Jean Chrétien in
2003. The prime minister is also restricted by the effectively anemic Senate. The Senate can delay and impede legislation, which occurred when
Brian Mulroney introduced the
Goods and Services Tax (GST). In many cases, the conflicts arose primarily because the Senate was dominated by members appointed by previous governments. The aforementioned Prime Ministers proceeded to shift the Senate in their favour with a flurry of senate appointments to ensure the smooth passage of legislation.
As well, as executive power is formally vested in the
Canadian Monarch and "exercised" by the
Governor General as the
vice-regal, either body has the power to oppose a Prime Minister's will. Senator and constitutional expert
Eugene Forsey stated that a "Governor General must take all steps necessary to thwart the will of a ruthless prime minister." This power of the Governor General was last used by
Lord Byng against Prime Minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King in what is known as the
King-Byng Affair of
1926. Some, such as the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's
Larry Zolf, also speculated whether (former) Governor General
Adrienne Clarkson would refuse a recommendation from Prime Minister
Jean Chrétien to dissolve Parliament in
2002.
[2] Near the end of her time as Governor General, Clarkson stated: "My constitutional role has lain in what are called 'reserve powers:' making sure that there is a prime minister and a government in place, and exercising the right 'to encourage, to advise, and to warn' [...] Without really revealing any secrets, I can tell you that I have done all three."
[3]
According to the CBC, in 2004, the Prime Minister of Canada had an annual salary in excess of $280,000 (CAD).
[4] Half of the Prime Minister's salary is due to the fact that he/she is a Member of Parliament, and the other half is because he/she is Prime Minister.
Criticisms of the Prime Minister's Office
In recent times, a few Canadians and some members of
Parliament have begun to question the powers the Canadian Constitution confers on the prime minister. In particular, their goal is to find ways to change the decayed role of elected members of the House of Commons, to create a Parliamentary committee to review appointments to the
Supreme Court, and the need to abolish or radically restructure the appointed Senate. A 2001 book, ''The Friendly Dictatorship'', by national affairs columnist
Jeffrey Simpson, pointed out the potential dangers by detailing what he argues to be near absolute power vested in the prime minister.
The main case given in favour of Prime Ministerial power has to do with the federal structure of the nation. Canada is one of the most decentralized of the world's federations, and provincial premiers have a great deal of power. Constitutional changes must be approved by the provincial premiers, and they must be consulted for any new initiatives in their areas of responsibility, which include many important sectors such as health care and education. In light of regional forces such as the
Quebec sovereignty movement, some have argued there is a need for a national counterbalance to these pressures.
List of Canadian Prime Ministers
Main articles: List of Prime Ministers of Canada
Living former Prime Ministers
There are six living former Prime Ministers of Canada. In order from most recent they are:
★
Paul Martin Jr.
★
Jean Chrétien
★
Kim Campbell
★
Brian Mulroney
★
John Turner
★
Joe Clark
Prime Ministers in fiction
Movies
Real
★ John A. Macdonald - in 1979 TV movie ''Riel'', played by
Christopher Plummer
★ Pierre Trudeau - in the 1980 film "The Kidnapping of the President", played by Aubert Pallascio
★ In the 2002
CBC mini series ''Trudeau'', four Prime Ministers were portrayed
★
★ Pierre Trudeau, played by
Colm Feore
★
★ Jean Chretien, played by
Guy Richer
★
★ Lester Pearson, played by
William Parsons
★
★ John Turner, played by Karl Pruner
★ Pierre Trudeau - in 2005
CBC mini series ''Trudeau II: Maverick In The Making'', played by
Stephane Demers
★ In the 2006
CBC mini series ''Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story'', two Prime Ministers were portrayed
★
★ John Diefenbaker, played by
Paul Gross
★
★ Mackenzie King, played by
Andy Jones
Fictional
★ Stewart Collingwood - in 2004 sitcom ''
Rideau Hall'', played by
Barry Flatman
★ Clark MacDonald - in 1995 film ''
Canadian Bacon'', played by American actor
Wallace Shawn
★ Tom McLaughlin - in 2004 TV movie ''
H2O'', played by
Paul Gross
★ (unknown name) simply called "the Prime Minister" - in 1992 film ''
Buried on Sunday'', played by
Louis Del Grande
Literature
★ Bobby Laurier - ''
Party Favours''
Prime Minister impersonators
Radio/TV parodies
★ ''
Royal Canadian Air Farce'' has portrayed several Prime Ministers
★
★ Jean Chretien, played by
Roger Abbott
★
★ Paul Martin, played by
Don Ferguson
★
★ Pierre Trudeau, played by Don Ferguson
★
★ Joe Clark, played by Don Ferguson
★
★ Stephen Harper, played by
Craig Lauzon
★ ''
Double Exposure'' has portray several Prime Ministers
★
★ Joe Clark, played by
Bob Robertson
★
★ Jean Chretien, played by Bob Robertson
★
★ Pierre Trudeau, played by Bob Robertson
★
★ Brian Mulroney, played by Bob Robertson
★
★ Kim Campbell, played by
Linda Cullen
★
Max Ferguson has portrayed several Prime Ministers on his radio shows
★
★ Pierre Trudeau - on ''CBC Radio's Max Ferguson Show''
★
★ Lester Pearson - on ''CBC Radio's Rawhide and the Max Ferguson Show''
★
★ John Diefenbaker - on ''CBC Radio's Rawhide and the Max Ferguson Show''
See also
★
Government of Canada
★
Air transport of the Royal Family and executive of Canada
★
List of Prime Ministers of Canada
Footnotes
1. Parliamentary Government
2. Zolf, Larry; ''CBC News Viewpoint'': Boxing in a Prime Minister; June 28, 2002
3. CTV News: ''GG reflects on mandate during farewell address''; September 14, 2005
4. CBC News Indepth: "Canadian Government"; September 28, 2004
External links
★
Official government Web site of the Office of the Prime Minister
★
primeministers.ca, Prime Ministers Online
★
Library of Parliament of Canada
★
Historians rank the Best and Worst Canadian Prime Ministers -
1997 ''
Maclean's'' article
★
Maple Leaf Web: The Prime Minister & Cabinet
CBC News In Depth: Canadian Government
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