Canada

Canada has three levels of government:

federal

provincial or territorial

municipal (city)

Federal government

The Prime Minister heads the federal government based in Ottawa. It deals with national and international matters, such as:

mail

taxes

money

banking

shipping

railways

pipelines

telephones

criminal law

foreign affairs

national defence

employment insurance

Aboriginal lands and rights

Provincial and territorial governments

A Premier leads each province and territory.

The provincial and territorial governments have the power to change their laws and manage their own public lands. They are in charge of:

education

health care

road regulations

Municipal (City) governments

Mayors lead municipal governments.

Municipal governments run cities, towns or districts (municipalities). They are in charge of things, such as:

parks

parking

libraries

roadways

local police

local land use

fire protection

public transportation

community water systems

First Nations governance

Across the country, band councils govern First Nations communities. Band councils are similar to municipal governments. Band members elect the band council, which makes decisions that affect their local community.

Parliamentary democracy

Parliament has three parts:

the Sovereign (Queen or King)

the Senate

the House of Commons

Canadian citizens elect political representatives at all three levels of government:

federal

provincial or territorial

municipal

Elected representatives hold positions in:

city councils

the federal House of Commons

provincial and territorial legislatures

Their duties include:

passing laws

approving and monitoring spending

keeping the government accountable

Constitutional monarchy

Canada is a constitutional monarchy. This means:

the Queen or King of Canada is the head of state

the Prime Minister is the head of government

The Governor General represents the Queen in Canada. The Sovereign appoints the Governor General on the Prime Minister’s advice. The appointment is usually for five years.

In each of the ten provinces, the Sovereign is represented by the Lieutenant-Governor. They are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The appointment is also normally for five years.

Discover Canada has more information on democracy and government in Canada.