Canada's Division of Governmental Power

In Canada, there are three different “types” of governments. Each type has responsibilities that they address and sometimes, these responsibilities overlap each other. These levels of government, along with their responsibilities, have been outlined in Canada’s constitution. Disputes between governments are not a foreign occurrence; they are often settled in court. Canada’s society and governmental services act accordingly to the three divisions.

The three levels of government Canada has are the federal government, the provincial government, and the municipal government. The federal government attempts to set wide legal standards in order for equal access for Canadians. In a nutshell, the federal government is the overall government for all of Canada. Provincial governments are governments that only regard a specific individual province. For example, there are 13 different provincial governments in Canada because Canada is made up of 10 provinces and 3 territories. Finally, municipal governments are governments that are solely involved in their municipality (city). Of course, there are thousands of cities in Canada, consequently meaning there are thousands of municipal governments.

These different types of governments each have responsibilities. The federal government is in charge of the following (as outlined in the Constitution Act, 1867): peace, order and good government, criminal law, unemployment insurance, banking, currency, coinage, federal penitentiaries, marriage and divorce, postal services, Aboriginal peoples and their lands. Some responsibilities are shared between different levels of government and it is not uncommon. The provincial government ‘s responsibilities are (as outlined in the Constitution Act, 1867): property and civil rights, marriage ceremonies, police forces and provincial courts, highways and roads, provincial jails, hospitals. Lastly, the municipal government’s responsibilities govern: garbage collection, emergency services, building services, building permits, water services, and night-time noise. These are just a few examples of their responsibilities. In certain responsibilities, there is enigmatic gray area, where disagreements ultimately arise. These disagreements, if non-negotiable, are typically settled in court.

There are different processes each level of government must undergo when passing a law. The federal government’s and the provincial government’s process are extremely similar. There are only two differences in their processes. In both the federal government and the provincial government, a bill (proposed law) is introduced by a Cabinet minister, which passes through three readings in the House of Commons. In the federal government, the bill then goes to the Senate for his approval then finally to the governor general (Queen’s representative); however, in the provincial government, there is no Senate. The bill goes straight to the Queen’s representative (called the lieutenant governor) in the provincial process. The Senate difference and the different Queen Representatives are the primary differences that the federal and provincial processes have. Municipal government’s law making procedure, on the other hand, differ from one municipality to the other. Generally and briefly speaking, a mayor leading an elected council votes on municipal bylaws.

As you can see, Canada’s government is profoundly structured. Canadians and citizens from other states admire Canada’s complex government. The way this government is assembled hinders, if not, prevents corruption from occurring; Canada has a low corruption rate. More governments (specifically those governing corrupted states) need to follow in Canada’s footsteps. People from corrupt nations already know their state is too greedy to change their ways; they need to escape to a land of fairness. Canada’s government is one of those factors that define Canadians – honest, reliable, and just.