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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:
Her Honour the Honourable Iona Campagnolo Q.C.
The Lieutenant Governor is the official representative
of the Crown. The Lieutenant Governor cannot initiate
legislation but must give Royal Assent to all Acts and
Orders in Council. By convention, this assent is rarely
refused.
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.
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