Power of Prime Ministers
Does the Prime Minister Of Canada have too much Power? Throughout Canadian Politics there have been standards set in understanding the powers of the Prime Mnister. ... The title of Prime Minister is perceived to the fact to any decision must be declared by him. That alone is a strong influence about the power he/she obtains. We can interpret the definition of the Prime Minister as “the chief policy maker in the Canadian political process” (Dyck,502) In actual fact the Prime Minister’s power is only as useful as to how his cabinet functions. ... From beginning custom and conventional practice (established by The British North America Act, of 1867) through the power of the Crown is exercised by the Cabinet, which is officially lead and appointed by the Prime Minister of Canada. The Prime Minister has a paramount role in the decision making activities because he is the “chief policy maker in the Canadian political process” 1 (Dyck, 484). The Prime Minister has the duty of forming a consensus among the government Cabinet ministers. ... The Prime Minister can only be successful if he or she can maintain Cabinet solidarity among ministers, and at the same time accommodate for the looking-after of diverse interests that are characteristic of the political process today. Even though the Prime Minister is vested with privileged powers and is in a high-ranking place in government, his or her powers are reserved and limited by customs, conventions, party discipline, and group or regional interests. Hence, this paper will examine the personal powers vested in the Prime Minister, and the restrictions, which are placed upon them. The truth is that while the Prime Minister is the controller of great power, there are many checks upon its authority in Canadian politics. The Prime Minister is the sole authority that has the right to appoint members to the Cabinet from the membership of the Parliamentary party caucus. Prior to “1957 the Prime Minister had to sign an Order in Council recommendation”2 (Matheson, 47) in order to select ministers. This practice was considered unequal since the sole privilege of appointing Cabinet Ministers was with the Prime Minister. As a result since 1957 the Prime Minister has been forming the Cabinet by choosing the minister of his own selection for each portfolio. In organizing Cabinet, the appointed ministers are allocated to particular departments according to their personal ability and political influence that they bring. In addition, the Prime Ministers appointment power “allows him [or her] to dispose of rivals, and if needed innovate the Cabinet at will”3 (Matheson, 47). As a result, the Prime Minister’s power has the potential to have considerable impact upon the political process. The decision of who to appoint to Cabinet lies personally with the Prime Minister.