Governor General of Canada

The Governor General of Canada (French: Gouverneur général or Gouverneure générale) is the representative of the Canadian monarch. Canada is one of sixteen Commonwealth realms, all of which share a single monarch (currently, Queen Elizabeth II). The Governor General acts as the Queen's viceregal representative in Canada and is often viewed as the de facto head of state. The 1947 Letters Patent granted the Governor General the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian military in the name of the Queen.

Political role

Although the Governor General's powers are in theory extensive, they are in practice very limited. The Governor General is a symbolic and nominal chief executive, acting within the constraints of constitutional convention and precedent. Should the Governor General of Canada attempt to exercise any powers without reference to constitutional convention and solely at his or her own personal discretion, the action would likely result in a constitutional crisis and in public outrage. Almost always, the Governor General exercises the Royal Prerogative on the advice of the Prime Minister and other ministers. The Prime Minister and ministers are, in turn, accountable to the democratically elected House of Commons, and through it, to the people.

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Whenever necessary, the Governor General is responsible for appointing a new Prime Minister. In accordance with unwritten constitutional conventions, the Governor General must appoint the individual most likely to maintain the support of the House of Commons: usually, the leader of the party which has a majority in that House. If no party has a majority, two or more groups may form a coalition, whose agreed leader is then appointed Prime Minister. Such coalition governments are actually very rare in Canada. In a Parliament in which no party or coalition holds a majority, the Governor General is required by convention to appoint the individual most likely to command the support of the House of Commons, usually, but not necessarily, the leader of the largest party. Thus, for example, Paul Martin has remained Prime Minister after the 2004 election, even though his party did not command a majority in the Commons.

Related Topics:
Paul Martin - 2004 election

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The Governor General appoints and dismisses Cabinet ministers and other ministers, but exercises such a function only on the Prime Minister's advice. Thus, in practice, the Prime Minister, and not the Governor General, exercises complete control over the composition of the Cabinet. The Governor General may, in theory, unilaterally dismiss a Prime Minister, but convention and precedent bar such an action.

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