Lesson 3 Government Structure and Responsibilities Government in

Lesson 3: Government Structure and Responsibilities

Government in Canada • Canada has three levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal • Each level has its own structure, consisting of elected and appointed representatives • Each level has a unique set of responsibilities

Three branches of Government • Legislative: The legislative bodies consist of elected representatives. They are responsible for making and debating laws. • Executive: Comprised of the Cabinet (appointed elected representatives) and the bureaucracy of the government that carry out the government business and legislation. • Judicial: Comprised of the various courts of Canada. They decide who broke the law and the corresponding punishment.

Federal • The elected representative at the federal level is called a Member of Parliament (MP) • The federal legislative body has 308 elected MPs and each represents a different geographic area • MPs debate and pass laws in the House of Commons in Ottawa (Parliament Hill) • The leader of the government is called the Prime Minister

Provincial • The elected representative at the provincial level is called a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) • The provincial legislative body has 58 elected MLAs • MLA debate and pass laws in the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly in Regina • The leader of the government is called the Premier

Municipal • The elected representative at the municipal level is called a councillor or alderman • The size of the council differs from city to town • Councillors debate and pass legislation in the council chambers (city hall/municipal office) • The leader of the government is called a mayor or reeve

Section 91 -95, Constitution • In choosing a federal form of government, the Fathers of Confederation assigned particular responsibilities to the different levels of government. The division of powers is found in Sections 91– 95 of the Constitution Act. • The constitutional division of powers is based on the principle of subsidiarity, in which the government closest to the issue governs it.

Division of Responsibilities • Federal: Defence, employment insurance, trade, foreign policy, money, transportation and citizenship • Provincial: Health care/hospitals, education, welfare, transportation within the province, justice and the cities within its borders, energy and the environment • Municipal: Parks and recreation, waste management, water and sewer, libraries and policing and protection

Government Ministries • High schools have departments - Science department, Math Department, History Department, etc. , each in charge of one specific subject area. • Similarly, at the provincial level, there are departments called ministries (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Tourism and Culture) and each is in charge of one of the government’s responsibilities • Each minister is in charge of one of the government’s responsibilities and acts as an advisor to the premier and the Legislature in their area of expertise.

A Selection of Saskatchewan Government Ministries • Agriculture, Apprenticeship and Trade, Corrections, Public Safety and Policing, Education, Elections, Energy and Resources, Environment, Finance, First Nations and Metis Relations, Francophone Affairs, Health, Highways and Infrastructure, Justice and Attorney General, Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport