The Governor General, who is now always a
passengers to steer the ship of the nation. They
Canadian, is appointed by the Queen on the
are expected to hold it on course, to arrange for
advice of the Canadian prime minister and,
a prosperous voyage, and to be prepared to be
except in very extraordinary circumstances,
thrown overboard if they fail in either duty.
exercises all powers of the offi
ce on the advice
of the cabinet (a council of ministers), which
This, in fact, refl ects the original sense of the
has the support of a majority of the members of
word ?government,? as its roots in both Greek
the popularly elected House of Commons.
and Latin mean ?to steer.?
Canada is not only an independent sovereign
Canada is a democracy, a constitutional
democracy, but is also a federal state, with
monarchy. Our head of state is the Queen of
10 largely self-governing provinces and
Canada, who is also Queen of Britain, Australia
three territories with a lesser degree of self-
and New Zealand, and a host of other countries
government.
scattered around the world from the Bahamas
and Grenada to Papua New Guinea and Tuvalu.
What does it all mean? How does it work?
Every act of government is done in the name of
the Queen, but the authority for every act fl ows
The answer is important to every citizen. We
from the Canadian people.
cannot work or eat or drink; we cannot buy or
sell or own anything; we cannot go to a ball
When the men who framed the basis of our
game or a hockey game or watch TV without
present written Constitution, the Fathers of
feeling the eff ects of government. We cannot
Confederation, were drafting it in 1864?67,
marry or educate our children, cannot be sick,
they freely, deliberately and unanimously
born or buried without the hand of government
chose to vest the formal executive authority in
somewhere intervening. Government gives us
the Queen, ?to be administered according to
railways, roads and airlines; sets the conditions
the well understood principles of the British
that aff ect farms and industries; manages
Constitution by the Sovereign personally or
or mismanages the life and growth of the
by the Representative of the Queen.? That
cities. Government is held responsible for
meant responsible government, with a cabinet
social problems, and for pollution and sick
responsible to the House of Commons, and
environments.
the House of Commons answerable to the
people. All of the powers of the Queen are now
Government is our creature. We make it, we are
exercised by her representative, the Governor
ultimately responsible for it, and, taking the
General, except when the Queen is in Canada.
broad view, in Canada we have considerable
