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Different Levels of Government and Political Parties

Canada is a democratic country in which our political representatives are elected by citizens 18 years of age and over. Canada has three levels of government: federal (national), provincial, and municipal (city, town, or rural area). Our federal representatives are called Members of Parliament or MPs. Our provincial representatives are called Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in some provinces and Members of the Provincial Parliament (MPPs) in other provinces. In Quebec, they are called Members of the National Assembly (MNAs). Municipalities have their own systems of local government. Municipal representatives are usually called councillors. Some still go by the old name, aldermen, but this term is being use less and less.

The responsibilities of the different levels of government are defined in Canada's constitution. The federal government is responsible for matters that affect the whole country such as immigration, employment, international trade, criminal law, taxation, citizenship, health care, defence, communications (including the postal system), and transportation. The provincial governments are responsible for such matters as education, social services, labour laws, land titles, corporate registrations, tourism, workers' health and safety, highways, the sale of alcoholic beverages, and motor vehicle licences. Municipalities deal with local affairs such as schools, property, care of roadways, urban transportation, business licences, libraries, police, and fire services. Municipal councillors also pass laws (called bylaws) governing such matters as speed limits, noise levels, animal licensing, and local planning and development.

All levels of government can tax the public. The federal government collects income tax and the GST (Goods and Services Tax), a tax of 7% on most goods and services sold in Canada. The provincial governments also collect income tax and all of the provinces except Alberta have a provincial sales tax. Municipal governments assess an annual property tax on anyone who owns land and/or buildings, and a business tax on businesses in their communities. The governments use some of the tax money to help pay for the services they provide.

There is some overlap in the responsibilities of the federal and provincial governments. In these cases, the federal government often gives money to the provinces to run the programs, but asks the provinces to follow federal policies on these services. A good example is medicare. The Canadian government believes that all citizens should have basic health care whether they are rich or poor. Since the program requires a great amount of money, both levels of government pay for part of health care. Most provinces, for example, collect a monthly fee called health insurance.

Political parties

In Canada, most people who want to represent us in government belong to a political party. There are many different political parties in Canada. The five main parties at the federal level are the Liberal Party, Progressive Conservative Party (PC), New Democratic Party (NDP), Reform Party, and Bloc Quebecois (BQ). Each party has its own set of beliefs and policies. Sometimes an individual who does not belong to a political party runs for office. These individuals can sit in the government as Independants.

Some people would show the relationship between the parties like this:

The Bloc Quebecois is not on the diagram because it is not a national party. It was formed to give Quebec a stronger voice in the federal government and to work for Quebec independence. It has representatives only from Quebec.

Most of the federal parties (except the Bloc Quebecois) have representatives at the provincial level as well. The provincial parties, however, do not necessarily follow the same policies as the federal parties. It is important to find out what a party's policies are before voting in any election.

Prominent Figures in Canadian Politics

It is not easy to single out a few politicians for special recognition because many deserve credit for their contribution to democracy in Canada. Regardless of which party they support and what positions they take, politicians give up a lot of time and energy as well as personal freedom and privacy to support the practice of democracy in Canada.

Before Confederation, a well-known person who was called a traitor by some and a martyr by others was Louis Riel. Riel was the Metis leader hanged for treason in 1885 for his involvement in the North-West Rebellion. He was charged with leading his people in an armed rebellion against the Queen and the Canadian government. To the Metis and other Native peoples, he was the fiery speaker who stood his ground against the Canadian government and the settlers who were taking Metis and Native lands without asking or consulting them. When peaceful means of protest were ineffective, Riel and his followers took up arms. Following his death, there were strong feelings of nationalism in both Ontario and Quebec. Many French Canadians took offence at his death because most Metis were half French, and Riel had fought for the rights of the Metis to keep their French language and culture. Many people in Ontario believed Riel was a traitor to the Canadian government and deserved to be hanged.

John A. Macdonald is one name most new Canadians learn when they are studying for their citizenship examinations. Macdonald was the first prime minister of Canada and was instrumental in building the national railway. He served as prime minister from 1867 to 1873 and again from 1878 until his death in 1891.

Women in Canada owe a debt of gratitude to Nellie McClung and Emily Murphy, as well as the other suffragettes at the turn of the twentieth century. These women faced humiliation from some men at the time who did not want women to gain equality at the ballot box.

Nellie McClung

In 1916, Nellie McClung helped women win the right to vote in Manitoba. In that same year, Emily Murphy became the first woman judge in Canada and in the British Empire. Her job was not easy. Many lawyers challenged her right to sit as a judge, arguing that she could not have that privilege because women were not legally "persons." On October 18, 1929, women were at last declared to be legally "persons." They then had the right to serve as judges and to be appointed to the Canadian Senate.

A century later a Canadian external affairs minister, who went on to become prime minister, achieved international recognition for his work in establishing the United Nations Emergency Force in 1956. This Force kept peace in the Israeli/Egyptian border region for 10 years. The man was Lester B. Pearson. His achievement won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. He is the only Canadian to date to receive this prestigious award.

The prime minister who immediately followed Pearson was Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Trudeau is well-known around the world for his vision of a global community, his support of developing nations, and his idea of a just society. Controversial in Canada for his candour and charm, Canadians seem to either love him or hate him. It was under Trudeau that Canada finally brought home its constitution, which until 1982 had remained in Britain as the BNA Act of 1867. Trudeau's government also worked to have the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms made a part of our constitution, ensuring Canadians of legal protection for many cherished rights. Trudeau served as Canada's prime minister for a total of 15 years between his first election in 1968 and his resignation in 1984. Trudeau believed in a strong central government, which he was convinced would enable all Canadians to enjoy the same standard of living regardless of where they lived.

Canada's only woman prime minister to date was Kim Campbell, a BC politician who served in provincial politics before joining the federal government. She served as Minister of Justice in the federal government under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Following the resignation of Brian Mulroney, she served as prime minister for five months before the disastrous election of October, 1993. In that election, the Progressive Conservative party lost all but two members in the House of Commons. Some say Canada was not ready for a woman prime minister, while others say that Kim Campbell was paying for Canadians' dissatisfaction with the previous Conservative government.

In 1993, Jean Chretien became prime minister of Canada. During his term, he has faced the challenge of trying to keep Canada together. Like Trudeau and Mulroney, Chretien comes from Quebec. He has been in federal politics since 1963 and served as one of Trudeau's cabinet ministers.

Elijah Harper is a name few Canadians had heard until he stood up in the Manitoba Legislature and refused to give unanimous consent to debate the Meech Lake Accord in 1990. He did not feel it gave the First Nations peoples sufficient autonomy over their own affairs. He courageously represented First Nations peoples in making this decision.

Another well-known Native politician is Ovide Mercredi. Mercredi is a lawyer, also from Manitoba, who has fought for several years to gain self-government for First Nations peoples and to encourage various Native peoples to work together. He has served as the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

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