Politics of Canada

Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth Realm (see Monarchy in Canada) with a federal system of parliamentary government, and strong democratic traditions. Many of the country's legislative practices derive from the unwritten practices of and precedents set by the United Kingdom's Westminster parliament; however, Canada has evolved variations. Party discipline in Canada is stronger than in the United Kingdom, and more of the votes are considered confidence votes, which tends to diminish the role of non-cabinet Members of Parliament (MPs), known as backbenchers. Backbenchers can, however, exert their influence by sitting in parliamentary committees, like the Public Accounts Committee or the National Defence Committee.

Principal government officials

:Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II

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:Governor General: Michaëlle Jean

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:Prime Minister: Paul Martin

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:Deputy Prime Minister: Anne McLellan

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:Minister of Finance: Ralph Goodale

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:Minister of Foreign Affairs: Pierre Pettigrew

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:Minister of Defence: Bill Graham

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:Ambassador to the United Nations: Allan Rock

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