POLSCI 1AA3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Donald J. Savoie, De Facto, Parliamentary System
16 Jan 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
In a constitutional sense, it is the queen that is at the apex of canadian power. The governor general exercises crown power within canada in the name of the queen. Crown power is exercised on the advice of the government of the day. And the governor general will almost always accept that advice. So the crown has very little real power in practice. That said, in the past there have been rare cases where the governor general has had some discretion in the use of her power and authority. Usually the governor general will dissolve parliament on the basis of a request from the prime. According to supporters, the crown has a role to play when unexpected crises develop. It is a source of legitimate power that can be used when the normal political process breaks down. The crown can thereby play a role in protecting canadian democracy.
