Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Government and Economy
GOVERNMENT
Canada is a constitutional monarchy. Its system of government is based on England's, and
the British monarch is also king or queen of Canada. However, because Canada is an in-
dependent nation, the British monarchy and government have no control over the political
affairs of Canada. An appointed governor general based in Ottawa represents the Crown,
as does a lieutenant governor in each province. Both roles are mainly ceremonial, but their
“royal assent” is required to make any bill passed by Cabinet into law.
Elected representatives debate and enact laws affecting their constituents. The head of
the federal government is the prime minister, and the head of each provincial government
is its premier. The speaker is elected at the first session of each parliament to make sure
parliamentary rules are followed. A bill goes through three grueling sessions in the legis-
lature—a reading, a debate, and a second reading. When all the fine print has been given
the royal nod, the bill then becomes a law.
Provincial Politics
In the BC legislature, the lieutenant governor is at the top of the ladder. Under him are the
members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). Assembly members are elected for a peri-
od of up to five years, though an election for a new assembly can be called at any time by
the lieutenant governor or on the advice of the premier. In the Legislative Assembly are the
premier, the cabinet ministers and backbenchers, the leader of the official opposition, other
parties, and independent members. All Canadian citizens and BC residents 19 years old and
over can vote, providing they've lived in the province for at least six months.
In recent decades, provincial politics in British Columbia have been a three-party
struggle. The province was the first in Canada to hold elections on a fixed date, with the
next election scheduled for 2013. In the most recent election (May 14, 2013), the Liber-
als defeated the New Democrats (NDP) for the fourth time in a row. The NDP first came
to prominence in the late 1960s as the official opposition to the Social Credit Party (the
Socreds, who had ruled the province for two decades), advocating free enterprise and gov-
ernment restraint.
The laws of British Columbia are administered by the cabinet, premier, and lieutenant
governor; they are interpreted by a judiciary made up of the Supreme Court of BC, the
Court of Appeal, and county or provincial courts.
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