The Institutions of Our Federal Government
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The Queen
The Queen is the formal head of the Canadian state. She is represented federally by the Governor General, and provincially by the Lieutenant-Governors. Federal Acts begin: “Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and the House of Commons, enacts as follows”; Acts in most provinces begin with similar words. Parliament (or the provincial legislature) meets only at the royal summons; no House of Parliament (or legislature) is equipped with a self-starter. No federal or provincial bill becomes law without the Royal Assent. The monarch has, on occasion, given the assent personally to federal Acts, but the assent is usually given by the Governor General or a deputy, and to provincial Acts by the Lieutenant-Governor or an administrator.
The Governor General and the Lieutenant-Governors have the right to be consulted by their Ministers, and the right to encourage or warn them. But they almost invariably must act on their Ministers’ advice, though there may be very rare occasions when they must, or may, act without advice or even against the advice of the Ministers in office.
The Queen performs many ceremonial duties
when visiting Canada.
