Post by bot on Mar 27, 2011 5:38:52 GMT -5
CANADIANS AND OUR DEMOCRACY / LES CANADIENS ET NOTRE DÉMOCRATIE
With Harper's most recent slew of lies (yes, I dare say the word), I thought it prudent to share some relevant information regarding Canada's political, parliamentary, electoral and democratic government systems which I urge you to share with friends and family.
Harper clearly believes the Canadian public is not intelligent enough to research the facts about our democracy. Clearly, he is relying on what he perceives as a national public ignorance in order to scare voters into believing his made-up and non-existent "coalition threat". Naturally, in his mind, the less Canadians understand the truth and are fear-mongered into believing his manufactured crisis, the more Canadians will swing their vote Tory-side with the hopes of landing him his coveted and so far unattainable Majority Government.
I, for one, could care less if the Conservative brass and base wish to believe this nonsense, as I'm sure in their position, ignorance is bliss. But the remainder of Canadians who have an iota of intelligence will surely wish to, at the very least, double check the facts before they cast a blue vote based purely on Harper's reasoning.
With that, I thought some of the following information, derived directly from several Government of Canada websites including Canadian Heritage, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Elections Canada, as well as the popular encyclopaedia website, Wikipedia, would come in useful when trying to decipher Harper truths (should there be any) from his misleading information and flat out lies, Understanding that Michael Ignatieff categorically stated this morning that he will not enter into a coalition government once this election is over, I am nonetheless including some pertinent information about Coalition governments near the end of this message, which I also hope will be useful.
I hope you find this useful.
Yours in Liberalism,
Bryn Hendricks
Liberal Party of Canada Facebook Cause Creator
CANADIANS AND THEIR GOVERNMENT:
www.pch.gc.ca/special/gouv-gov/105-eng.cfm
RUNNING CANADA:
Canada subscribes to a system of responsible government and constitutional monarchy, combined with the features of a federation and parliamentary democracy.
THE FEDERAL SYSTEM:
Canada is a federation, which means that the work of governing the country is shared by the federal and provincial or territorial governments. Federalism allows the government of a country as large and diverse as Canada to meet the common needs of all citizens, while also being able to serve the special interests and characteristics of the country's various regions and cultural/linguistic communities.
The original provinces that united to form the Canadian federation were the Province of Canada (now Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Later developments brought six more provinces into Confederation. Three territories have been carved out of Canada's north.
THE DIVISIONS OF POWERS:
The Constitution Act, 1867 gives the federal government responsibility for matters that concern all Canadians, most notably matters that cross interprovincial and/or international borders, such as defence, foreign affairs, the regulation of interprovincial and international trade and commerce, criminal law, citizenship, central banking and monetary policy.
Provincial governments have jurisdiction in matters of local interest, for example, primary and secondary education, health and social services, property and civil rights, provincial and municipal courts, and local (municipal) institutions. Schools are generally run by school boards or commissions elected under provincial education acts.
Some areas of responsibility are shared by both levels of government. For example, in the area of transportation, the federal government has jurisdiction in matters involving movement across provincial or international borders (aviation, marine transport and rail), whereas the provinces look after provincial highways, vehicle registration and driver licensing. Control over agriculture, immigration and certain aspects of natural resource management are also shared; but if federal and provincial laws in these areas conflict, the federal law prevails.
The territorial governments (Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut) have more or less the same responsibilities as the provinces, but do not control land and natural resources. Further, their powers are not guaranteed by the Constitution but are granted by the federal government, which can change them when it is considered necessary.
A basic principle of the Constitution Act, 1867 is that any power not specifically assigned to provincial legislatures belongs to the Parliament of Canada. Such powers are called residual powers and are captured under the P.O.G.G. (Peace, Order, and Good Government) clause that allows the national government to make any laws in areas not expressly reserved to the provinces. In interpreting the law, the courts have generally followed the principle that if the power appears to be local, then it will be assigned to the provinces and territories, and if national, then to the federal government, or to both levels if the power is both national and local (for example, the environment).
Municipalities are formed to handle the affairs of cities, counties, towns, villages, districts and metropolitan regions. They are set up by provincial legislatures and have only such powers as the provinces give them. They provide citizens with services such as water and sewer systems, garbage disposal, roads, building codes, parks and libraries, and have authority over property tax.
ELECTIONS:
Canadians play an active role in how and by whom Canada is governed. We elect members of Parliament to the House of Commons and to our provincial and territorial legislatures to make decisions and enact laws on our behalf. Regular elections ensure that Canadians continue to be represented by candidates of their choice. The Constitution sets the maximum term of a Parliament at five years. However, the government in power may call an earlier election at any time. To do so, the Prime Minister must ask the Governor General to dissolve the House and call the election.
Representation in legislatures is based on geographical divisions known as electoral districts, constituencies or ridings. Each riding elects one member to the legislature. Federally, riding boundaries are established every ten years by independent commissions, taking into account population and social and economic links. Elections are conducted riding by riding, with the winner being the candidate with the greatest number of votes. It is not necessary to have a majority of votes to win. Most candidates running in federal, provincial or Yukon elections belong to a political party.
Political parties are a group of people who establish a constitution outlining their common vision, elect a leader and other officers, and support candidates for election to the House of Commons federally, or to the legislature provincially or in the Yukon. Although for the first half century of its existence, Canada had only two political parties, Conservative and Liberal, since the 1920s, there have been representatives from at least three to five political parties in Parliament. To be registered for a federal election, a political party is required to have had at least 12 members in the previous Parliament, or must nominate a minimum of 50 candidates 21 days prior to the election. Provincially and in the Yukon, the process is much more complex, ranging from single-party dominant systems to competitive three-party systems across the country (candidates in territorial elections in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are not members of political parties).
All Canadian citizens at least 18 years of age on election day are eligible to vote, with very few exceptions. To ensure impartiality, the officials responsible for election administration - the Chief Electoral Officer and the Assistant Chief Electoral Officer - may not vote in a federal election. Some residency restrictions apply for voters outside the country.
THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM OF CANADA:
www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=ces&document=index&lang=e
or downloadable PDF version: www.elections.ca/res/canelecsys_e.pdf
Information included:
The political system
The basics
Representation in the House of Commons
First past the post
Pillars of electoral democracy
Participation, fairness and transparency
Secrecy and privacy
Adaptability
Elections Canada
Role, mission and goals
Professional, non-partisan and independent
Funding of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
The Commissioner of Canada Elections
The federal electoral process
Preparing for a general election
Launching an election
Voting
The results
Election reports
By-elections
Referendums
Political financing
Contribution limits
Tax credits for political contributions
Expenses limits
Reporting
Reimbursements for candidates
Reimbursements and allowances for political parties
Audit subsidy for registered electoral district associations
Regulation of third parties
Further information
Appendices
Appendix 1: Evolution of the federal electoral system
Appendix 2: Distribution of House of Commons seats, 1867–2006
Appendix 3: Canadian parliaments, 1867–2006
Appendix 4: Canadian Prime Ministers, 1867–2006
Appendix 5: Statistics on voter turnout, 1867–2006
Appendix 6: Map of Canada, 2006
COALITION GOVERNMENTS:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalition_government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament. A coalition government might also be created in a time of national difficulty or crisis, for example during wartime, or economic crisis, to give a government the high degree of perceived political legitimacy it desires whilst also playing a role in diminishing internal political strife. In such times, parties have formed all-party coalitions (national unity governments, grand coalitions). If a coalition collapses, a confidence vote is held or a motion of no confidence is taken.
With Harper's most recent slew of lies (yes, I dare say the word), I thought it prudent to share some relevant information regarding Canada's political, parliamentary, electoral and democratic government systems which I urge you to share with friends and family.
Harper clearly believes the Canadian public is not intelligent enough to research the facts about our democracy. Clearly, he is relying on what he perceives as a national public ignorance in order to scare voters into believing his made-up and non-existent "coalition threat". Naturally, in his mind, the less Canadians understand the truth and are fear-mongered into believing his manufactured crisis, the more Canadians will swing their vote Tory-side with the hopes of landing him his coveted and so far unattainable Majority Government.
I, for one, could care less if the Conservative brass and base wish to believe this nonsense, as I'm sure in their position, ignorance is bliss. But the remainder of Canadians who have an iota of intelligence will surely wish to, at the very least, double check the facts before they cast a blue vote based purely on Harper's reasoning.
With that, I thought some of the following information, derived directly from several Government of Canada websites including Canadian Heritage, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Elections Canada, as well as the popular encyclopaedia website, Wikipedia, would come in useful when trying to decipher Harper truths (should there be any) from his misleading information and flat out lies, Understanding that Michael Ignatieff categorically stated this morning that he will not enter into a coalition government once this election is over, I am nonetheless including some pertinent information about Coalition governments near the end of this message, which I also hope will be useful.
I hope you find this useful.
Yours in Liberalism,
Bryn Hendricks
Liberal Party of Canada Facebook Cause Creator
CANADIANS AND THEIR GOVERNMENT:
www.pch.gc.ca/special/gouv-gov/105-eng.cfm
RUNNING CANADA:
Canada subscribes to a system of responsible government and constitutional monarchy, combined with the features of a federation and parliamentary democracy.
THE FEDERAL SYSTEM:
Canada is a federation, which means that the work of governing the country is shared by the federal and provincial or territorial governments. Federalism allows the government of a country as large and diverse as Canada to meet the common needs of all citizens, while also being able to serve the special interests and characteristics of the country's various regions and cultural/linguistic communities.
The original provinces that united to form the Canadian federation were the Province of Canada (now Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Later developments brought six more provinces into Confederation. Three territories have been carved out of Canada's north.
THE DIVISIONS OF POWERS:
The Constitution Act, 1867 gives the federal government responsibility for matters that concern all Canadians, most notably matters that cross interprovincial and/or international borders, such as defence, foreign affairs, the regulation of interprovincial and international trade and commerce, criminal law, citizenship, central banking and monetary policy.
Provincial governments have jurisdiction in matters of local interest, for example, primary and secondary education, health and social services, property and civil rights, provincial and municipal courts, and local (municipal) institutions. Schools are generally run by school boards or commissions elected under provincial education acts.
Some areas of responsibility are shared by both levels of government. For example, in the area of transportation, the federal government has jurisdiction in matters involving movement across provincial or international borders (aviation, marine transport and rail), whereas the provinces look after provincial highways, vehicle registration and driver licensing. Control over agriculture, immigration and certain aspects of natural resource management are also shared; but if federal and provincial laws in these areas conflict, the federal law prevails.
The territorial governments (Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut) have more or less the same responsibilities as the provinces, but do not control land and natural resources. Further, their powers are not guaranteed by the Constitution but are granted by the federal government, which can change them when it is considered necessary.
A basic principle of the Constitution Act, 1867 is that any power not specifically assigned to provincial legislatures belongs to the Parliament of Canada. Such powers are called residual powers and are captured under the P.O.G.G. (Peace, Order, and Good Government) clause that allows the national government to make any laws in areas not expressly reserved to the provinces. In interpreting the law, the courts have generally followed the principle that if the power appears to be local, then it will be assigned to the provinces and territories, and if national, then to the federal government, or to both levels if the power is both national and local (for example, the environment).
Municipalities are formed to handle the affairs of cities, counties, towns, villages, districts and metropolitan regions. They are set up by provincial legislatures and have only such powers as the provinces give them. They provide citizens with services such as water and sewer systems, garbage disposal, roads, building codes, parks and libraries, and have authority over property tax.
ELECTIONS:
Canadians play an active role in how and by whom Canada is governed. We elect members of Parliament to the House of Commons and to our provincial and territorial legislatures to make decisions and enact laws on our behalf. Regular elections ensure that Canadians continue to be represented by candidates of their choice. The Constitution sets the maximum term of a Parliament at five years. However, the government in power may call an earlier election at any time. To do so, the Prime Minister must ask the Governor General to dissolve the House and call the election.
Representation in legislatures is based on geographical divisions known as electoral districts, constituencies or ridings. Each riding elects one member to the legislature. Federally, riding boundaries are established every ten years by independent commissions, taking into account population and social and economic links. Elections are conducted riding by riding, with the winner being the candidate with the greatest number of votes. It is not necessary to have a majority of votes to win. Most candidates running in federal, provincial or Yukon elections belong to a political party.
Political parties are a group of people who establish a constitution outlining their common vision, elect a leader and other officers, and support candidates for election to the House of Commons federally, or to the legislature provincially or in the Yukon. Although for the first half century of its existence, Canada had only two political parties, Conservative and Liberal, since the 1920s, there have been representatives from at least three to five political parties in Parliament. To be registered for a federal election, a political party is required to have had at least 12 members in the previous Parliament, or must nominate a minimum of 50 candidates 21 days prior to the election. Provincially and in the Yukon, the process is much more complex, ranging from single-party dominant systems to competitive three-party systems across the country (candidates in territorial elections in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are not members of political parties).
All Canadian citizens at least 18 years of age on election day are eligible to vote, with very few exceptions. To ensure impartiality, the officials responsible for election administration - the Chief Electoral Officer and the Assistant Chief Electoral Officer - may not vote in a federal election. Some residency restrictions apply for voters outside the country.
THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM OF CANADA:
www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=ces&document=index&lang=e
or downloadable PDF version: www.elections.ca/res/canelecsys_e.pdf
Information included:
The political system
The basics
Representation in the House of Commons
First past the post
Pillars of electoral democracy
Participation, fairness and transparency
Secrecy and privacy
Adaptability
Elections Canada
Role, mission and goals
Professional, non-partisan and independent
Funding of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
The Commissioner of Canada Elections
The federal electoral process
Preparing for a general election
Launching an election
Voting
The results
Election reports
By-elections
Referendums
Political financing
Contribution limits
Tax credits for political contributions
Expenses limits
Reporting
Reimbursements for candidates
Reimbursements and allowances for political parties
Audit subsidy for registered electoral district associations
Regulation of third parties
Further information
Appendices
Appendix 1: Evolution of the federal electoral system
Appendix 2: Distribution of House of Commons seats, 1867–2006
Appendix 3: Canadian parliaments, 1867–2006
Appendix 4: Canadian Prime Ministers, 1867–2006
Appendix 5: Statistics on voter turnout, 1867–2006
Appendix 6: Map of Canada, 2006
COALITION GOVERNMENTS:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalition_government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament. A coalition government might also be created in a time of national difficulty or crisis, for example during wartime, or economic crisis, to give a government the high degree of perceived political legitimacy it desires whilst also playing a role in diminishing internal political strife. In such times, parties have formed all-party coalitions (national unity governments, grand coalitions). If a coalition collapses, a confidence vote is held or a motion of no confidence is taken.