POLS 375 Lecture Notes - Cabinet Collective Responsibility, Parliamentary Sovereignty, Lloyd Axworthy
16 Mar 2013
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
March 13, 2013 (powers of the prime minister) One of the checks on prime ministers, including foreign policy, was the convention of cabinet solidarity. Minister of external affairs didn"t exist until after king"s cabinet. Without cabinet solidarity, the prime minister usually wouldn"t do anything. It still exists today, even with a majority government. As such, one of the key checks is that he has to stay in tune with the majority of canadians. If he goes out of the safe zone, he risks being defeated. Prime ministers tend to do crazy things when: Provinces" ability to place a check on the feds is limited, but also powerful. Provinces can actively campaign against or for certain foreign policy issues. Courts are another example on the check on prime ministers" foreign policies. Up until 1982, our courts operated on the basis of parliamentary supremacy. Up until 1982, the courts acted as an umpire. Prime minister never had to fear courts until 1982.
