POL 151 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Wield, Treasury Board, Institute For Operations Research And The Management Sciences
24 May 2018
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The Executive
“Within the parliamentary system, as it has evolved in Canada, the prime minister is like a Sun
King. He is all-powerful. The Canadian prime minister has more unfettered power within this
system than any other leader in a democracy. Put another way, he faces fewer checks or balances
to that power than any other leader.”—Jeffrey Simpson, The Empire Club of Canada Addresses:
November 15th, 2001
The Crown: “The composite symbol of the institutions of the state...”
▪ Administrator of the “commons”—i.e. publically owned lands and corporations
▪ The foundation of Canada’s legal system
▪ State regulator
▪ Represents the collectivity of executive powers that are exercised in the interests either
by or in the name of the Queen
▪ The Crown derives its powers from the BNA/Constitution Act 1867 (s. 9-16), the Letters
Patent, and the Royal Prerogative
Formal Executive (The Queen):
Canada is by design a constitutional monarchy, whereby the current reigning sovereign of the
House of Windsor—Queen Elizabeth serves as “Head of State” who is regarded as the public
face of the Crown (i.e. the state) and represented by the Governor General. By virtue of this
role, the Queen possesses the powers of the Crown, but only in a symbolic sense, for while the
Queen may “hold” the powers of the Crown, it is the “political arm” of the executive branch (i.e.
the Prime Minister and the Cabinet) that actually exercises them.
Functions of the Executive
o Formal ceremonial Head of State—for ex. Speech from the Throne, receives foreign
dignitaries, serves as Commander in Chief of Canadian Forces, etc.
o Duty to “selects” Prime Minister when office is vacant as well as appoints (and removes)
cabinet ministers and judges at the behest of the Prime Minister
o Traditional non-partisan advisory role of the monarch: the right to be consulted, warn, or
encourage the Prime Minister in confidential exchanges
o The power to intervene: i.e. dwindling prerogative residual of unwritten and unwritten
powers
Possible Reasons for a Formal Executive
Intelligible Government (i.e. constitutional continuity)
Defender of the Faith
Beacon of Morality
Head of Society
Political Neutrality
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Document Summary
Within the parliamentary system, as it has evolved in canada, the prime minister is like a sun. The canadian prime minister has more unfettered power within this system than any other leader in a democracy. Put another way, he faces fewer checks or balances to that power than any other leader. jeffrey simpson, the empire club of canada addresses: Canada is by design a constitutional monarchy, whereby the current reigning sovereign of the. House of windsor queen elizabeth serves as head of state who is regarded as the public face of the crown (i. e. the state) and represented by the governor general. By virtue of this role, the queen possesses the powers of the crown, but only in a symbolic sense, for while the. Queen may hold the powers of the crown, it is the political arm of the executive branch (i. e. the prime minister and the cabinet) that actually exercises them.
