Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site dciem.UUCP Path: utzoo!dciem!ntt From: ntt@dciem.UUCP (Mark Brader) Newsgroups: net.politics,can.politics Subject: Re: Canadian and American systems Message-ID: <754@dciem.UUCP> Date: Fri, 2-Mar-84 13:00:28 EST Article-I.D.: dciem.754 Posted: Fri Mar 2 13:00:28 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 3-Mar-84 18:26:27 EST References: <3411@utcsrgv.UUCP> Organization: NTT Systems Inc., Toronto, Canada Lines: 43 Dave Sherman (utcsrgv!dave) writes: Mark Brader comments on our new Prime Minister being able to take office without being elected. Note a couple of things: (1) the new Prime Minister must be a member of Parliament before becoming Prime Minister (i.e., must be elected by the voters in one riding) For the benefit of foreigners, "riding" is colloquial for "electoral district". Yes, and Parliament also has to "ratify" the choice with a vote of confidence, doesn't it? But both of these things are practical certainties; the party in power can always find one riding where its new PM will be elected if they have to (it was done for Mackenzie King twice), and as long as the party has a majority and is not hopelessly divided they will give the vote of confidence. By the way, could a Senator (appointed) rather than a member of the House of Commons (elected) be chosen Prime Minister? Senators can be in the Cabinet... Anyway, my point is this. A convention of people that we did not elect will choose one candidate. If (s)he's already an MP, (s)he was not elected to be PM, only to be an MP. If not, one riding will be asked to vote on whether this person should be the new PM or whether some other person will be their MP. Nobody is asked to vote for a PM. and (2) the Prime Minister is not our head of state, only the head of government. In a legal sense the Prime Minister has much less power than the President, since acts of government are effected by the Governor-General in Council, which in practise means the Cabinet. Our head of state is the Queen, represented in Canada by the Governor-General. The head of government is what matters. If (s)he can't dominate the Cabinet, (s)he won't get to be PM. The Queen and G-G are figureheads with what amounts *in practice* to consultative power only. Well, I've said my piece. If the Liberals choose a poor PM, they'll lose the next election anyway. In practice, we should worry more about being presented with a choice of poor candidates in the general election. But this convention thing... it's just not democratic, and I don't like it. Mark Brader, Toronto Speaking for myself.