1.5: Making Laws

Read the article on page 39 of your textbook

How  might making Canada’s government more accountable contribute to good government for all Canadians?   What other measures might contribute to good government? 

accountable - answerable to someone for your actions; observable,  transparent  

assimilation - the process of becoming part of a different cultural group (not your own)

civil  service - the  people who serve Canadians as employees of  government 

First Reading 

• a copy of the bill is provided to the MP's and senators

• No voting or debating is done at this time

Second Reading

• Debating and voting on the principle of the bill

• Does the bill serve the interest of Canadians?

Committee Stage

• A committee is formed to study the impact using the expertise of witnesses and experts

• A recommendation report is prepared and given to the House or Senate to accept or reject

Report Stage

• Voting and debating is done on amendments (suggested changes) to the bill

Third Reading

• Once amendments have been made, final debating and voting on the form of the bill is done.

Royal Assent

• If the bill is passed by the House of Commons and the Senate, the Governor General accepts the bill and gives Royal assent, as a formality.

          Similar to The Friendship Algorithm that Sheldon created on the Big Bang Theory, Creating a law has a similar cycle.  If either the House or Senate reject a bill, it needs to return for more investigating and tweaking or it is thrown out completely.  

Visual

Examples of bills that were debated and rejected, but eventually passed:  Four Times the Senate Provided Sober (or not-so-sober) Second Thought 

          In 1867, when Canada formed its own country, the original constitution established our system of government.  Not everyone's rights were taken into account.  The British North America Act (BCA Act) neglected to consult with the Indigenous people. 

• The First Nations became a responsibility of the government.  It did not recognize First Nations as independent, sovereign people, as it had done with the French.

• The Inuit and Métis people were not even a part of the Act.  

          It has taken many years of campaigning and some changes have been made, but many still feel they are under-represented/supported by the government.  As Anna Hunter, director of Aboriginal Public Administration Program at the University of Saskatchewan says, "Aboriginal peoples need to see representation and inclusion of their leaders and their ceremonies, symbols and practices in the political processes and institutions of the Canadian state". 

Issues of Canada, Page 46

1.6: Media and the Government