Canada's
federation has two levels of government: federal and provincial,
each with its own law-making bodies, governing executive
and judiciary.
At the federal level, the Canadian government has two
law-making bodies: the 301-seat House of Commons and the
105-seat Senate. B.C. Residents are represented by 34
elected Members of Parliament (MPs) and six appointed
senators. The Prime Minister and appointed Ministers comprise
the federal cabinet or governing executive. The federal
judiciary includes the Supreme Court of Canada, the highest
court of appeal for all cases.
Provincial Government
The structure of the British Columbia government is rooted
in British parliamentary tradition and precedent. Prior
to 1866, B.C. was comprised of two British-controlled
colonies, one on Vancouver Island and a second on the
mainland. In 1866, the two colonies were officially united
as the Crown Colony of British Columbia, with its capital
in Victoria. British Columbia became a province of Canada
when it entered Confederation on July 20, 1871.
British Columbia is one of ten provinces in Canada. The
government of the province, as provided in its Constitution
Act, is organized on the parliamentary system with a unicameral
Legislature as follows:
The
Lieutenant Governor:
Appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister
of Canada, the Lieutenant Governor acts as the province's
head of State, performing various legislative duties
such as summoning and reading the Speech from the Throne
at the start of a session to set forth the government's
legislative priorities, providing Royal Assent to bills
to make them laws, and dissolving Parliament for an
election. The Lieutenant Governor presides at provincial
events, visits communities and organizations around
Ontario, and presents honours and awards to deserving
citizens.
When an important government action doesn't gain the
support (or confidence) of a majority of the MPPs, the
government is defeated. If this happens, the Lieutenant
Governor seeks another party leader who has the support
of the Assembly or dissolves the Legislature, which
results in an election for the people to decide.
The
Legislative Assembly:
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia presently
consists of 79 elected Members. (This number can be
varied by statutory amendment.) Following a provincial
general election, the Lieutenant Governor appoints the
recognized leader of the party with the majority of
elected members Premier, and calls upon the Premier
to form a Government. Upon the advice of the Premier,
the Lieutenant Governor also appoints the Executive
Council or Cabinet.
The
Premier and the Cabinet Ministers determine government
policy. Each Cabinet Minister is also given responsibility
for the full administration of a department or ministry
within the limitations of the relevant statues. The
Premier and all Cabinet Ministers are Members of, and
accountable to, the Legislative Assembly.
Provincially,
British Columbia is governed by the BC Liberal Party,
elected on 16 May 2001. B.C residents are represented
by 79 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). As
of June 2001, standings in the legislature are: BC Liberals
77 and New Democratic Party 2.
Local and Regional Government
Local governments in B.C. consist of incorporated municipalities,
regional districts, school districts, regional hospital
districts and special purpose improvement districts.
Incorporated municipalities - cities, districts, towns
and villages - provide facilities such as roads, waterworks,
and sewers, as well as a wide range of social, recreational
and protection services. Regional districts provide common
services on a shared basis over a large area. Revenue
for municipal and regional services is derived mainly
from property taxation and grants from the provincial
government. |
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