GOVERNMENT

The duties of the head of state are exercised, on behalf of the Queen, by the Governor General, who is generally a retired politician or other prominent Canadian appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Governor General is a non-partisan figure who fulfils many ceremonial and symbolic roles including providing Royal Assent to bills, reading the Speech from the Throne, officially welcoming high commissioners and ambassadors of foreign countries, presenting awards such as the Order of Canada, signing state documents, promoting national unity and identity, formally opening and ending sessions of Parliament, and dissolving Parliament for an election. Canada's current governor general is Adrienne Clarkson, who will be succeded by Michaëlle Jean when the former's term of office ends on September 27. Canada's constitution governs the legal framework of the country and consists of written text and unwritten traditions and conventions (see Westminster system). The federal government and the governments of nine provinces agreed to the patriation of the constitution, with procedures for amending it, at a meeting of First Ministers in November 1981. Quebec did not agree to the changes, and Quebec nationalists refer to that night as the Night of the Long Knives. The position of Prime Minister, Canada's head of government, in practice belongs to the leader of the political party able to command a majority of the House of Commons. The Prime Minister is formally appointed by the governor general, and confirmed by a vote of confidence in the Commons. The prime minister, in turn, appoints the Cabinet, drawn by convention from members of the prime minister's party in both legislative houses. Executive power is exercised by the prime minister and cabinet, all of whom are sworn into the Privy Council of Canada and become ministers of the Crown.

Adrienne Clarkson, Governor GeneralThe legislative branch of government has two houses: the elected House of Commons and the appointed Senate. Each member in the Commons is elected by simple plurality in one electoral district or "riding"; general elections are called by the governor general when the prime minister so advises, and must occur every five years or less. Members of the Senate, whose seats are apportioned on a regional basis, are chosen by the prime minister and appointed by the governor general, and serve until age 75. Canada has four main political parties today. The traditionally centrist Liberal Party of Canada formed the government in Canada for most of the 20th century, and is the party of the current Prime Minister Paul Martin. The only other party to have formed a government is the now-defunct Progressive Conservative (PC) Party and its predecessor, the Conservative Party, which was the dominant political party in the 19th century. The PC Party merged with the Canadian Alliance to form a new Conservative Party of Canada in December 2003. The New Democratic Party (NDP) is the party furthest to the "left". However, the three aforementioned "national" parties have shifted their positions on various socioeconomic issues. The Bloc Québécois promotes Quebec independence from Canada and currently holds a majority of Quebec's seats in the Commons. There are many smaller parties and, while none have current representation in Parliament, the list of historical parties with elected representation is substantial. Paul Martin, Prime MinisterCanada's judiciary plays an important role in interpreting laws and has the power to strike down laws that violate the constitution. The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court and final arbiter. All judges at the superior, appellate, and Supreme Court of Canada levels are selected and appointed by the federal government, after consultation with non-governmental legal bodies. Judicial posts at the provincial and territorial levels are filled by their respective governments (see Court system of Canada for more detail).

Common law prevails everywhere except in Quebec, where civil law predominates. Criminal law is solely a federal responsibility and is uniform throughout Canada. Law enforcement, including criminal courts, is a provincial responsibility, but in most provinces policing is contracted to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The RCMP is the only police force in the world to perform three different levels of enforcement: municipal, provincial, and federal.

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