How Provincial Governments Work

Which student above is most accurate about who represents the Queen at the provincial level?

• Nathaniel

• Marianne

• Oliver

• Peter

Answer explanation

Canada is a constitutional monarchy, a system of government where a monarch is the head of state, which in Canada's case is the monarch of England, currently Queen Elizabeth II. The Lieutenant-Governor is the representative of Canada's monarch at the provincial level of government.

In the Legislative Assembly, the Lieutenant-Governor approves all laws on behalf of the British Monarch (Queen Elizabeth II), calls the Legislature into session by reading the 'Speech from the Throne,' and closes or dissolves the Legislative Assembly at the end of a season or when an election is called. Because of the Lieutenant-Governor's role as the representative of the British Monarch, the Lieutenant-Governor plays an important role in ceremonies and events.

Which of the following sets correctly identifies three responsibilities of the municipal government?

• post office, local police, and snow removal

• highways, snow removal, and garbage collection

• hospitals, education, and water supply

• fire fighters, snow removal, and public transit

Which of the following statements about elections is false?

Most candidates in provincial elections:

• represent one of the political parties.

• create an election platform which addresses the concerns and needs of the voters in their constituency.

• are independents.

• live in the province where they are campaigning.

Answer explanation

The provincial level of government is the level of government that creates laws and policies and provides services and programs for all residents of the province. The provincial government is comprised of the Lieutenant-Governor (the Queen's representative at the provincial level), the Premier (leader of the provincial government), Cabinet Ministers (leaders of provincial government departments) and MLA's.

MLA's represent a specific area within the province (called a 'constituency') and are elected in provincial elections by being selected by the majority of voters in their constituency. Most MLA's represent a political party and inform voters about how they, based on the values and plan of their political party, could address the needs and concerns of their constituents. Although most MLA's belong to and represent a political party, they are not required to and may run as an 'independent' candidate.

An elected member of the Legislative Assembly is the representative of citizens in a:

• federal constituency.

• provincial constituency.

• school district.

• small Canadian town.

The diagram shown above shows the structure of the:

• Electorate.

• Local Government.

• Provincial Government.

• Federal Government.

Answer explanation

The provincial government, or the Legislature, is made up of the Lieutenant-Governor, who represents the Queen, and the Premier, who is the leader of the government and also the leader of the political party with the most elected MLA's.

Beneath the Premier are the cabinet ministers who oversee departments which are responsible for the different services the province provides to its residents.

Following the Cabinet Ministers is the Legislative Assembly, made up of the MLA's who serve on government committees within the different departments. The MLA's also introduce, debate and vote on bills and bring the ideas, concerns and issues important to their constituents to the attention of the provincial government.

For Diane to be eligible to run in the upcoming provincial election she must:

• ask the Premier to appoint her as a candidate.

• win the majority of the seats in her constituency.

• raise $20,000 in campaign funding money before she can apply to run.

• be nominated by the Eco-Action Party to run as a candidate in the election.

Answer explanation

Individuals are elected to serve in the Legislative Assembly by receiving the most votes in their constituency. Most people seeking a term as a Member of Legislative Assembly are members of a recognized political party, although some people are not associated with a political party and run in provincial elections as 'independent candidates.'

If a person is a member of a political party they must be nominated by their political party to run in a certain constituency. Members of political parties tend to represent the interests, plans, and issues considered to be important by that party, therefore, only one candidate per political party can run in a constituency.

What service do lieutenant-governors provide for their province's residents in Canada?

• They represent the Prime Minister in provincial government.

• They represent the Lieutenant-General in provincial government.

• They represent the Queen of England in provincial government.

• They represent the constituents who elected them.

Based on all of this information, Elaine's job can most accurately be described as:

• Minister of Education.

• Cabinet Minister.

• Minister of Transportation.

• MLA.

Answer explanation

The Legislative Assembly is made up of the Lieutenant-Governor, who represents the Queen in the Legislative Assembly, followed by the Premier, who is the leader of the government and also the leader of the political party with the most elected MLA's. Beneath the Premier are the Cabinet Ministers which oversee different departments, responsible for the different services the province provides to its residents. Beneath the Cabinet Ministers are the MLA's who serve on government committees within the different departments.

The responsibilities of MLA's are to introduce, debate, and vote on bills, meet with government committees and residents interested in or affected by the service provided, as well as bring the ideas, concerns, and issues important to their constituents to the attention of the provincial government.

The above list of responsibilities is that of a:

• Member of the Legislative Assembly.

• Human Resources Specialist.

• Chief Executive Officer.

• Provincial Cabinet Minister.

Answer explanation

Below the Premier are the Cabinet Ministers which oversee the departments responsible for the different services the province provides to its residents. Below the Cabinet Ministers are the MLAs, who serve on government committees within the departments. The MLAs also introduce, debate, and vote on bills as wells as bring the ideas, concerns, and issues important to their constituents to the attention of the provincial government. A Cabinet Minister is elected to serve his or her constituency as an MLA, and, in addition to fulfilling those responsibilities, is appointed to be a Cabinet Minister with a provincial department to oversee by the Premier.

The provincial government is responsible for providing these services because these are issues that:

• affect the entire province.

• the taxpayers believe are important and have agreed to fund.

• the federal government refuses to deal with.

• are unique to a specific province and aren't as important elsewhere.

Answer explanation

The provincial government is responsible for providing programs and services that address issues which face the entire province, including health care, education, agricultural development, natural resources, aboriginal affairs, infrastructure, and the energy needs of residents.

To fund these programs and services the provincial government collects taxes from those who work, in the form of income tax (a tax on the money earned through employment), and through royalties received from natural resources. These programs provide services to all residents of a province and help to ensure that all of their needs are met in a fair and equitable way.