Prime Minister of Canada
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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 sworn in on February 6, 2006, as the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada. 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 the subsequent general election gives the leading opposition party a plurality of seats, the incumbent prime minister can stay in power by forming a coalition with another minority party, but this is all but never done, though it remains an option under the Canadian constitution. The normal practice is for the prime minister to resign and for the governor general to thus appoint the leader of the new plurality party.
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 actually 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 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
Living former prime ministers
There are six living former Prime Ministers of Canada. In order from most recent they are:
The Right Honourable Paul Martin continues to hold a seat in the House of Commons; however he is not expected to seek re-election when the 39th Parliament is dissolved and the 40th general election is called. Chrétien left the House in 2003 and Clark in 2004.
Prime Ministers in Fiction
Movies
- John A. Macdonald - in 1979 TV movie Riel, played by Christopher Plummer
- Pierre Trudeau - in 2002 CBC mini series Trudeau, played by Colm Feore
- Jean Chretien - in 2002 CBC mini series Trudeau, played by Guy Richer
- Lester Pearson - in 2002 CBC mini series Trudeau, played by William Parsons
- John Turner - in 2002 CBC mini series 'Trudeau, played by Karl Pruner
- Pierre Trudeau - in 2005 CBC mini series Trudeau II: Maverick In The Making, played by Stephane Demers
- John Diefenbaker - in 2006 CBC mini series Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story, played by Paul Gross
- Mackenzie King - in 2006 CBC mini series Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story, played by Andy Jones
- 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
- Jean Chretien - in Royal Canadian Air Farce (played by Roger Abbott)
- Paul Martin - in Royal Canadian Air Farce (played by Don Ferguson)
- Stephen Harper - in Royal Canadian Air Farce (played by Craig Lauzon)
- Joe Clark - in Double Exposure (comedy series) (played by Bob Robertson)
- Jean Chretien - in Double Exposure (comedy series) (played by Bob Robertson)
- Pierre Trudeau - in Double Exposure (comedy series) (played by Bob Robertson)
- Brian Mulroney - in Double Exposure (comedy series) (played by Bob Robertson)
- Kim Campbell - in Double Exposure (comedy series) (played by Linda Cullen)
See also
Footnotes
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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". CBC. 2004-09-28. Retrieved 2007-03-17.