POLI 204 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Media Scrum, Lower House
5 Mar 2018
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Governor general represents the monarch and must sign (royal assent) legislation for it to become law. Every parliamentary session opens with a speech from the throne, it is written by the office of the pm but read by the gg. Gg plays a role in government formation: i. ii. iii. iv. After elections they ask the party leader to form the gov. They can prorogue (temp. shut down) or dissolve the house if asked by the pm. Royal commissions are also used to investigate matters of importance i. They allow for a independant or non-partisan approach: senate (upper chamber) 105 members who are appointed by the gg upon recommendation of the pm rather than elected. They are constituted along regional lines (west, ontario, quebec, maritimes) rather than provincial. Referred to as the sober, second thought chamber because they have more time and less pressure when reviewing laws.
