1、Unit 16 The Government and Politics of CanadaHistorical BackgroundvTwo major foreign influences: Britain and the United StatesvStrong provincial governments were persuaded to join into the Canadian “confederation” under special favors (e.g. BC)Provincial GovernmentvProvincial government operates on

2、the same model as the federal government at a lower level.vLeader: Premier省總理vLegislative Assembly立法議會Differences from Britain and AmericavFreedom of speech and freedom of information are much more valued in contemporary Canada than in BritainvWell-being and liberty of individuals sacrifices for the

3、 greater good of the community: gunsvSlogans: America: aspire to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”; Canada: found a nation based on “peace, order and good government”vCentral concern of Canadian policy-makers: find a workable balance between community and individual rights vReconcile the

4、two communities of English-speaking Canada and French-speaking CanadavMost Canadian politics is about finding a constitutional arrangement to satisfy the demands of Quebec and the rest of Canada.Structures of Governmentv“Westminster-style” democracy: parliamentary democracy vMonarchy: official head

5、of state is the Queen; the Queen is Canadas queen in her own right; representative of the Queen is a Governor General; ceremonial power FederationvTen provinces and three territories joined to form one country, each with their own government.vCanada was the first political community to combine feder

6、alism with a British system of government; later applied to other areas in the British Commonwealth, notably in Australia, Malaysia, Nigeria and IndiaWhy British model is preferred to the American modelvChecks and balancesvStrength, order and authorityvWeak VS Strong central government ParliamentvA

7、lower house: the House of Commons (300 seats) (representatives are voted by each electoral district)vAn upper house: the Senate (not elected, recommended by the Prime Minister, appointed by the Governor General) vElectoral districts are based on population rather than geographic size, so there are m

8、ore MPs from urban areas and very few from the sparsely settled, wilder regions of Canada.vAs the Canadian population is concentrated in Ontario and Quebec, these two provinces have the most seats and therefore the most power in the House of Commons.Government vThe party that wins the most seats for

9、ms the government; the leader becomes Prime Minster, the most important person in Canadian governmentvThe Cabinet, chosen by the Prime Minster, consists of senior MPs from the governing partyThe Federal Political ScenevThe two biggest political parties in Canada are the Liberal Party and the Progres

10、sive Conservatives (自由黨和進步保守黨)vNeither of the two were popular throughout the whole country, and lack of representation has led to many feelings of resentment and frustration in the different regionsChanges vRegional parties thriving and national parties failingvIn the 1993 federal election, the Pro

11、gressive Conservative Party was completely wiped out and the Prime Minster lost his seat, for bad management of the economy.vThe Bloc Quebecois: the official opposition party in the 1993-1995 government, a coalition of MPs from the mainly French-speaking province of Quebec, dedicated to the task of

12、winning important concessions from the rest of CanadavReform Party: a right wing grassroots, won enough seats to become the countrys official opposition in the 1997Canadian Prime MinistersvPierre Trudeau, served from 1968-1984, a francophone frkufun vBrian Mulroney, led the government between 1984 a

13、nd 1993, from English speaking community in QuebecvJean Chretien, born in Quebec, French speakingvMajor concern: bring English and French Canada closer, dealing with Quebec in its demand for special recognitionPierre TrudeauIntroduced programs to promote the use of French throughout Canada.Introduce

14、d the Constitution Act, gave Canada complete legal independence.MulticulturalismBrian MulroneyvIntroduced the Meech Lake Accord, recognize Quebec as a “distinct society”. Failed.vSinged a free trade agreement with the United States, bringing into being NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement)

15、Jean ChretienvLong political career, first become an MP in 1963vA cabinet Minister and one of Trudeaus most trusted colleagues throughout the 1970s, seen as the natural successor to Trudeaus vision of keeping Canada together.Multiculturalism vFirst proposed by Trudeau in 1971, announced a policy in

16、which Canada officially affirmed its pride in and support the various ethnic, racial and religious groups vIn 1982 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the federal government promised to support any groups which wanted to sustain their cultural identityv1988, Multiculturalism Act further strengthened and explained this promise.Similarities among the three leadersvShared the vision of a strong, united Canada and have paid special attention to the cultural diversity of the nationvWork hard to overcom