The Canadian Government, formally Her Majesty's Government in Canada, is the federal government of Canada. Powers and structure of the federal government are set out in the Constitution of Canada.

Usage

In Canadian English, the word government is used to refer both to the whole set of institutions that govern the country (following American usage, but where Britons would use state), and to the current political leadership (following British usage, but where Americans would use administration). For example a Canadian could be a government employee but never a state employee, and they would support or oppose the policies of the Harper government but never the Harper administration.

Because Canada is a federation, the government may refer to the federal, provincial or municipal government. Because "aboriginal peoples ... had legal systems prior to the arrival of Europeans", it could also refer to an aboriginal government. In this article, government refers to the structure of the Canadian federal state.

Sovereign

In Canada's federal system, the headship of state is not a part of either the federal or provincial jurisdictions; the Queen reigns impartially over the country as a whole; meaning the sovereignty of each jurisdiction is passed on not by the Governor General or the Canadian parliament, but through the Crown itself. Thus, the Crown is "divided" into eleven legal jurisdictions, eleven "crowns" – one federal and ten provincial. The Fathers of Confederation viewed this system of constitutional monarchy as a bulwark against any potential fracturing of the Canadian federation. See: Monarchy in the Canadian provinces

In practice, the sovereign rarely personally exercises her executive, judicial or legislative powers; since the monarch does not normally reside in Canada, she appoints a governor general to represent her and exercise most of her powers. The person who fills this role is selected on the advice of the prime minister. "Advice" in this sense is a choice generally without options since it would be highly unconventional for the prime minister's advice to be overlooked; a convention that protects the monarchy. As long as the monarch is following the advice of her ministers, she is not held personally responsible for the decisions of the government. The governor general has no term limit, and is said to serve "at Her Majesty's pleasure"; however, the practice is for the governor general to be replaced after about five years in office.

Just as the sovereign's choice of governor general is on the prime minister's advice, the vice-regal figure exercises the executive powers of state on the advice of the ministers of the Crown who make up the Cabinet. The term "the Crown" is used to represent the power of the monarch.