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[[File:Diverse group of people.jpg | right | frame | link= | <span style="font-size:60%;">Copyright www.shutterstock.com</span>]] | [[File:Diverse group of people.jpg | right | frame | link= | <span style="font-size:60%;">Copyright www.shutterstock.com</span>]] | ||
Canadians vote for people to represent us in government. The people who get the most votes become our elected representatives. It is their job to make the laws. | Canadians vote for people to represent us in government. The people who get the most votes become our elected '''representatives'''. It is their job to make the laws. | ||
===Voting=== | |||
To vote in any '''election''', you must: | |||
* be a Canadian citizen, | |||
* be at least 18 years old on election day, and | |||
* be on the voters’ list. | |||
To vote in a British Columbia election, you must have lived in the province for the six months before voting day. To find out how to get on the voters list for a federal election, go to [https://www.elections.ca/ Elections Canada]. | |||
===Who makes the laws=== | |||
When Canadians vote, they give consent to the party that wins the election to make the laws. | |||
The elected politicians can propose new laws or '''bills'''. A bill is what a law is called before it becomes a law. These bills are debated in order to decide whether or not they should become laws. The goal of the debate is to explore all possible effects of a bill, both good and bad. After the debate there is a vote. If the majority of our elected representatives vote for the bill, it can become a law. | |||
===Changing the laws=== | |||
If someone wants to change a law, they can work with other Canadians to seek change through peaceful means. Canadians write letters, organize political protests, work with political parties, or join groups of people who have the same ideas as they do. Working in this way, groups may succeed in persuading the government to change a law. Changing a law takes a lot of time and work but Canadians believe that slow, peaceful change is best. | |||
== | ==The government== | ||
In Canada, there are different levels of government: federal, provincial, and municipal. | |||
As well, some Indigenous communities have '''self-government agreements'''. These communities govern themselves. This can include making their own laws, deciding how to spend money, and delivering services to members of their community. | |||
===Levels of government=== | |||
The '''federal government''', called the government of Canada, acts for the whole country. The elected representatives of the federal government are members of Parliament, often called MPs. They meet in Ottawa. The leader of the federal government is called the Prime Minister. | |||
The Parliament in Ottawa has two sections: the House of Commons and the Senate. The House of Commons is where | The Parliament in Ottawa has two sections: the House of Commons and the Senate. The House of Commons is where members of Parliament debate and vote in order to make laws. The purpose of the Senate is to review proposed laws to make sure they are the best they can be. | ||
British Columbia, like other provinces, has a provincial government. In BC the elected | Provinces and territories have their own governments. British Columbia, like other provinces, has a '''provincial government'''. In BC, the elected representatives of the provincial government are members of the Legislative Assembly, often called MLAs. They meet at the legislature in Victoria. The leader of the provincial government is called the Premier. | ||
Canada also has '''local (municipal) governments''' in cities and towns. The elected representatives are called councillors. They meet at City Hall or Town Hall. The leader of the municipal government is called the Mayor. | |||
===Each level of government has different responsibilities=== | ===Each level of government has different responsibilities=== | ||
Each level of government makes laws on what they are responsible for. The federal government has the power to make laws that affect the whole country. Examples are citizenship and immigration laws, and criminal laws. | |||
Provincial governments, such as the province of British Columbia, have the power to make laws that apply only in that province. Examples are landlord and tenant laws, and laws about employment. | |||
The provincial governments can give some of their responsibilities to municipalities. | |||
Municipalities, cities and towns have the power to make local laws about such | Municipalities, cities, and towns have the power to make local laws about things such as streets, parking, and noise. These laws are called '''bylaws'''. | ||
===Canada has a Queen=== | ===Canada has a Queen=== | ||
Queen Elizabeth II, who lives in Britain, is the Queen of Canada. But the Queen and her representative in Canada, the Governor-General, are the '''symbolic''' heads of Canada. It is the elected representatives (described above) who have political power and make laws in Canada. | |||
{{REVIEWED | reviewer = [[People's Law School]], 2022}} | |||
{{REVIEWED | reviewer = [[People's Law School]], | |||
{{Learning about the Law Wikibook Navbox}} | {{Learning about the Law Wikibook Navbox}} |
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