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Read the Following Selection
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Provincial Governments
Did you know each province in Canada has its own government? Provincial and federal governments in Canada are very similar in the way they operate. In a provincial election, the leader of the political party that wins the most seats in the legislature becomes the premier of the province. The premier chooses a cabinet formed by elected members of their political party. The cabinet helps the premier make decisions. The opposition is formed by the political party who had the second-highest number of elected members in the election. Provincial governments usually meet twice a year for about six to ten weeks.
Some differences between provincial and federal governments are as follows. For example, provincial governments do not have a Senate and have only one legislature that makes laws. Another example is the queen’s representative, which is a similar position to the governor general, is called the lieutenant governor.
The legislature has different names in different provinces:
Province |
Name of Elected Member |
Name of Legislature |
British ColumbiaSaskatchewanManitobaAlbertaNew BrunswickPrince Edward IslandOntario |
Member of the Legislative Assembly or MLA |
Legislative Assembly |
Ontario |
Member of the Provincial Parliament or MPP |
Provincial Parliament |
Québec |
Member of the National Assembly or MNA |
National Assembly or Assemblée nationale |
Newfoundland and LabradorNova Scotia |
Member of the House of Assembly or MHA |
House of Assembly |
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