Topic – What Does the Prime Minister Do?

What Does the Prime Minister Do?

Canada is a big country, with lots of people and many decisions to make. Canadians elect a government to help make those decisions. The prime minister is the head of Canada’s government.

How to Become Prime Minister

Canadians across the country vote in an election to choose who will represent them in Canada’s national, or federal, government. The winner in each district (called a riding or constituency) becomes a Member of Parliament, or an MP. The MPs gather in the House of Commons to discuss issues and pass laws.

The MPs belong to groups called political parties. The parties are made up of people who think the same way about how to improve the country. Every party has a leader.

The party that elects the most MPs in the federal election will become Canada’s government. The leader of that party becomes the prime minister.

Making Decisions

The prime minister’s job is to lead the country and make decisions about how to govern it. He chooses a group of MPs, called a cabinet, to help him. There are about 30 MPs in the cabinet. The prime minister tries to pick people who represent the many different types of people across the country.

On the Job

The prime minister is also a member of parliament. Even though he is busy running the whole country, he also represents a riding, just like all the other Members of Parliament. He has to make time to look after his district’s specific needs.

Another one of the prime minister’s jobs involves a second part of Parliament called the Senate (say it like this: SEHN-it). It is made up of about 100 people called senators. Their job is to take a careful second look at any bills that the House of Commons approves. The prime minister appoints these senators.

In addition, the prime minister represents Canada at meetings with other countries around the world.

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