The Senate is the upper house of Parliament, whose members are appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The Senate represents Canada's regions and may introduce legislation, though its main role is providing sober second thought to legislation passed by the House of Commons. Senators serve until age 75 and the Senate tends to be less partisan than the Commons, aiming for consensus.

1. Government The Parliamentary System
and Politics

2. Senate
• Upper House, independent of the House of
Commons
• Senators are appointed by the Governor General on
the “recommendation” of the Prime Minister
• Senators represent the regions of the country
• The Senate may introduce legislation, but mainly
serves the role of providing “sober second thought”

3. • Senate seats are
allocated regionally
based on population
• The BNA act set that
Senators may serve
until age 75
• Prime Ministers often
fill vacant seats with
patronage
appointments
• Annual salary: $122,700

4. Senate
• The Senate tends to be less partisan and
confrontational than the House of Commons, and is
more likely to come to a consensus on issues
• The Senate often takes on issues considered too
controversial for the House of Commons
• Senators have more opportunity to study proposed
bills in detail, either as a whole or in committees

5. Senate Composition
Conservative 22
Liberal 60
Progressive Conservative 3
Independent NDP 1
Independent 4
Non-Aligned 1
Vacant 14

6. Province/Territory Number of Senators Population per Senator
Newfoundland and Labrador 6 84,244
Prince Edward Island 4 33,962
Nova Scotia 10 91,346
New Brunswick 10 72,999
Quebec 24 314,422
Ontario 24 506,678
Manitoba 6 191,400
Saskatchewan 6 161,359
Alberta 6 548,391
British Columbia 6 685,581
Nunavut 1 29,474
Northwest Territories 1 41,464
Yukon 1 301,075
Distribution of Senate seats

7. Larry Campbell Mobina Jaffer Gerry St. Germain
Liberal Liberal Conservative
Vancouver British Columbia Langley-Whistler
BC’s Senators

8. Executive

9. Executive
The executive branch of the federal
government is comprised of four parts:
• Governor General
• Prime Minister
• The Cabinet
• Public Service

10. Governor General
• Head of State
• Gives formal assent to bills
before they become law
• Dissolves Parliament to call
an election
• Performs ceremonial
functions

11. Prime Minister
• Head of government
• The leader of the party with
the most elected
representatives in the
House of Commons
• Names judges and senators
• Chooses members of
Cabinet

12. The Cabinet
• Elected members of the House of Commons
• PM gives each Cabinet member responsibility for a
particular government department (“portfolio”),
such as Minster of Finance
• Junior ministers are called secretaries of state
• Ministers are responsible for their department’s
efficient and effective operation

13. • Ideally, the Cabinet should reflect the cultural, linguistic,
and social diversity of Canada
• Members of Cabinet are expected to demonstrate
cabinet solidarity, or else they must resign

14. Public Service
• Also known as the civil service or bureaucracy
• Non-partisan permanent employees who perform
the ongoing business of government
• Civil servants are often the only direct contact most
of us have with our government

15. Public Service
• Gather statistics
• Write details for new laws
• Represent Canada in other countries
• Collect taxes
• Monitor the flow of imported goods
• Inspect food
• Process passports
• Deliver the mail
• Answer questions about government programs

16. Public Service
• Senior civil servants advise ministers and help draft
new laws
• Deputy ministers can wield a great deal of influence
over public policy
• They hold hidden power though the influence and
controls they exert over how the government
responds to the needs and requests of citizens

17. Judicial

18. Judicial
• Have the power to interpret and
administer the law
• The judiciary is separate from the other
two branches of government
• Judicial power is exercised by courts and
judges, who act as referees of private
rights and interpreters of the Constitution