Editing Prime Minister of Canada (section)

==Role and authority==
{{Further|King's Privy Council for Canada}}

[[File:Prime Ministers of Canada to 1963.jpg|thumb|right|Canada's prime ministers during its first century]]

Because the prime minister is, in practice, the most politically powerful member of the [[Government of Canada|Canadian government]], they are sometimes erroneously thought to be Canada's [[head of state]],{{NoteTag|A 2008 [[Ipsos-Reid]] poll found 42% of respondents thought the prime minister was head of state.<ref name="IR2008">{{Citation |title=In the Wake of Constitutional Crisis: New Survey Demonstrates that Canadians Lack Basic Understanding of Our Country's Parliamentary System |date=December 15, 2008 |url=http://www.dominion.ca/DominionInstituteDecember15Factum.pdf |page=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216053714/http://www.dominion.ca/DominionInstituteDecember15Factum.pdf |place=Toronto |publisher=Ipsos Reid |access-date=May 18, 2010 |archive-date=2008-12-16 |url-status=dead}}</ref>|name=IRpoll}} when, in fact, that role belongs to the Canadian monarch, represented by the governor general.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Library and Archives Canada |author-link=Library and Archives Canada |title=First Among Equals: The Prime Minister in Canadian Life and Politics > Alone at the Top > Head of State |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/primeministers/h4-2013-e.html |access-date=January 18, 2010 |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada}}</ref> The prime minister is, instead, the [[head of government]] and is responsible for [[Advice (constitutional law)|advising]] the Crown on how to exercise much of the [[royal prerogative]] and its executive powers,<ref name=Brooks235/> which are governed by the written constitution and constitutional conventions. However, the function of the prime minister has evolved with increasing power. Today, per the doctrines of [[constitutional monarchy]], the [[Advice (constitutional law)|advice]] given by the prime minister is ordinarily binding, meaning the prime minister effectively carries out those duties ascribed to the sovereign or governor general, leaving the latter to act in predominantly ceremonial fashions.<ref>{{Harvnb| Brooks|2007|pp=233–235}}</ref> As such, the prime minister, supported by the [[Office of the Prime Minister (Canada)|Office of the Prime Minister]] (PMO), controls the appointments of many key figures in Canada's system of governance, including the governor general, the Cabinet, justices of the [[Supreme Court of Canada|Supreme Court]], senators, heads of [[Crown corporations of Canada|Crown corporations]], [[List of ambassadors and high commissioners of Canada|ambassadors and high commissioners]], the [[Lieutenant Governor (Canada)|provincial lieutenant governors]], and approximately 3,100 other positions. Further, the prime minister plays a prominent role in the legislative process—with the majority of bills put before Parliament originating in the Cabinet.
[[File:WilliamLyonMackenzieKing.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[William Lyon Mackenzie King]], the 10th prime minister of Canada (1921–1926; 1926–1930; 1935–1948)]]

Pierre Trudeau is often credited with, throughout his tenure as prime minister (1968–79, 1980–84), consolidating power in the PMO,<ref name="Macleans">{{Cite news |last=Geddes |first=John |date=January 25, 2009 |title=Will the prorogation of Parliament set off a populist revolt? |work=Maclean's |publisher=Kenneth Whyte |location=Toronto |url=http://www.macleans.ca/2010/01/25/the-people-speak/ |access-date=January 27, 2010 |issn=0024-9262}}</ref> which is itself filled by political and administrative staff selected at the prime minister's discretion and unaccountable to Parliament. At the end of the 20th century and into the 21st, analysts—such as [[Jeffrey Simpson]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Simpson |first=Jeffrey |url=https://archive.org/details/friendlydictator0000simp/page/248 |title=The Friendly Dictatorship |publisher=McClelland & Stewart |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-7710-8079-1 |location=Toronto |page=[https://archive.org/details/friendlydictator0000simp/page/248 248] |author-link=Jeffrey Simpson |url-access=registration}}</ref> [[Donald J. Savoie|Donald Savoie]], [[Andrew Coyne]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Liberals' idea for gender quota in Cabinet leaves out the principle of merit |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/andrew-coyne-liberals-idea-for-gender-quota-in-cabinet-leaves-out-the-principle-of-merit |date=2015-06-30 |work=[[National Post]] |last1=Coyne |first1=Andrew |access-date=June 30, 2015}}</ref> and [[John Gomery]]—argued that both Parliament and the Cabinet had become eclipsed by prime ministerial power;{{NoteTag|See [[Cabinet of Canada#cite note-BNA-34|note 2]] at [[Cabinet of Canada]].|name=BNA}}<ref>{{Harvnb| Brooks|2007|p=258}}</ref> Savoie wrote: "The Canadian prime minister has little in the way of institutional check, at least inside government, to inhibit his ability to have his way."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Savoie |first=Donald |title=Governing from the Centre: The Concentration of Power in Canadian Politics |publisher=University of Toronto Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-8020-8252-7 |location=Toronto |page=362}}</ref> Indeed, the position has been described as undergoing a "presidentialization",<ref name=Macleans/><ref>{{cite news |title=Time to address democratic deficit |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/756262--time-to-address-democratic-deficit |date=2010-01-27 |work=[[Toronto Star]] |access-date=January 27, 2010}}</ref> to the point that its incumbents publicly outshine the actual head of state (and [[Spouse of the prime minister of Canada|prime minister's spouses]] are sometimes referred to as ''First Lady of Canada''<ref>{{cite web |title=The Prime Minister's Wife: What Is Her Title, Exactly? |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/11/04/prime-minister-wife-sophie-gregoire_n_8464096.html |date=2015-11-04 |last1=Zamon |first1=Rebecca |access-date=June 3, 2017 |newspaper=[[The Huffington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Alberici |first=Emma |title='I need help': Why did Canada's first lady spark such a backlash? |date=May 18, 2016 |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-19/alberici-why-did-canadas-first-lady-spark-such-a-backlash/7428228 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref>).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jackson |first=Michael D. |year=2009 |title=The Senior Realms of the Queen |volume=Autumn 2009 |page=10 |work=Canadian Monarchist News |publisher=Monarchist League of Canada |issue=30 |location=Toronto |url=http://www.monarchist.ca/cmn/2009/Autumn_2009_CMN.pdf |url-status=dead |access-date=January 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229100400/http://www.monarchist.ca/cmn/2009/Autumn_2009_CMN.pdf |archive-date=December 29, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Blair |first=Louisa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xyNlYxdpdfcC |title=Vive Quebec!: new thinking and new approaches to the Quebec nation |publisher=James Lorimer & Company |year=2001 |isbn=978-1-55028-734-9 |editor-last=Venne |editor-first=Michel |location=Toronto |page=91}}</ref> Former governor general [[Adrienne Clarkson]] alluded to what she saw as "an unspoken rivalry" that had developed between the prime minister and the Crown.<ref>{{cite news |title=Keep the Queen and choose another head of state |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/keep-the-queen-and-choose-another-head-of-state/article1529705/singlepage/ |date=2010-04-09 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |last1=Franks |first1=C.E.S. |access-date=January 23, 2011}}</ref> It has been theorized that such is the case in Canada as its Parliament is less influential on the executive than in other countries with [[Westminster system|Westminster parliamentary systems]]; particularly, Canada has fewer MPs, a higher turnover rate of MPs after each election, and a US-style system for selecting political party leaders, leaving them accountable to the party membership rather than [[Caucus#In Commonwealth nations|caucus]] (as is the case in the UK).<ref>{{cite news |title=Only in Canada: Harper's prorogation is a Canadian thing |url=https://nationalpost.com/story.html?id=2446705 |date=2010-01-15 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100118165801/http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=2446705 |archive-date=2010-01-18 |url-status=dead |work=[[National Post]] |last1=Foot |first1=Richard |access-date=January 16, 2010}}</ref>

There do exist checks on the prime minister's power: the House of Commons may revoke its confidence in an incumbent prime minister and Cabinet or [[caucus revolt]]s can quickly bring down a serving premier and even mere threats of such action can persuade or compel a prime minister to resign their post, as happened with [[Jean Chrétien]]. The ''Reform Act, 2014'',<ref>{{Citation |last=Parliament of Canada |title=Bill C-586 |date=June 23, 2015 |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&DocId=8058690 |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |access-date=June 2, 2015}}</ref> codifies the process by which a caucus may trigger a party leadership review and, if necessary, chose an interim leader, thereby making a prime minister more accountable to the MPs in one's party. Caucuses may choose to follow these rules, though the decision would be made by recorded vote, thereby subjecting the party's choice to public scrutiny.<ref>{{cite news |title=Thanks to the Senate, I've finally come around to liking the Reform Act |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/chris-selley-thanks-to-the-senate-ive-finally-come-around-to-liking-the-reform-act |date=2015-05-28 |work=[[National Post]] |last1=Selley |first1=Chris |access-date=June 2, 2015}}</ref>

The Senate may delay or impede legislation put forward by the Cabinet, such as when [[Brian Mulroney]]'s bill creating the [[Goods and services tax (Canada)|Goods and Services Tax]] (GST) came before the Senate, and given [[Canadian federalism|Canada's federal nature]], the jurisdiction of the federal government is limited to areas prescribed by the constitution. Further, as executive power is constitutionally vested in the monarch, meaning the royal prerogative belongs to the Crown and not to any of its ministers,<ref>{{Citation |last=MacLeod |first=Kevin S. |title=A Crown of Maples |url=http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/fr-rf/crnCdn/crn_mpls-eng.pdf |page=16 |year=2008 |edition=1 |place=Ottawa |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |isbn=978-0-662-46012-1 |access-date=June 21, 2009 |author-link=Kevin S. MacLeod}}</ref><ref name="Murdoch">{{Cite journal |last=Cox |first=Noel |date=September 2002 |title=Black v Chrétien: Suing a Minister of the Crown for Abuse of Power, Misfeasance in Public Office and Negligence |url=http://www.murdoch.edu.au/elaw/issues/v9n3/cox93.html |journal=Murdoch University Electronic Journal of Law |location=Perth |publisher=Murdoch University |volume=9 |issue=3 |page=12 |access-date=May 17, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Neitsch |first=Alfred Thomas |year=2008 |title=A Tradition of Vigilance: The Role of Lieutenant Governor in Alberta |url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Infoparl/30/4/30n4_07e_Neitsch.pdf |url-status=dead |magazine=Canadian Parliamentary Review |location=Ottawa |publisher=Commonwealth Parliamentary Association |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025113652/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Infoparl/30/4/30n4_07e_Neitsch.pdf |archive-date=October 25, 2012 |access-date=May 22, 2009}}</ref> the sovereign's supremacy over the prime minister in the constitutional order is thus seen as a "rebuff to the pretensions of the elected: As it has been said, when the prime minister bows before the queen, he bows before us [the Canadian people]."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Coyne |first=Andrew |author-link=Andrew Coyne |date=November 13, 2009 |title=Defending the royals |work=Maclean's |publisher=Rogers Communications |location=Toronto |url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/defending-the-royals/ |access-date=April 9, 2020 |issn=0024-9262}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A lightning rod for patriotic love |url=http://andrewcoyne.com/columns/NationalPost/2002/20020410.html |website=[[National Post]] |date=2002-04-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060523040653/http://andrewcoyne.com/columns/NationalPost/2002/20020410.html |archive-date=2006-05-23 |url-status=dead |last1=Coyne |first1=Andrew |access-date=May 22, 2006 |author-link=Andrew Coyne}}</ref> Either the sovereign or the governor general may therefore oppose the prime minister's will in extreme, crisis situations.{{NoteTag|See "[[Cabinet of Canada#Responsibilities|Responsibilities]]" and [[Cabinet of Canada#cite note-RP-20|note 1]] at [[Cabinet of Canada]].|name=RP}} Near the end of her time as governor general, Adrienne Clarkson stated: "My constitutional role has lain in what are called 'reserve powers': making sure that there is a prime minister and a government in place, and exercising the right 'to encourage, to advise, and to warn'[...] Without really revealing any secrets, I can tell you that I have done all three."<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 14, 2005 |title=GG reflects on mandate during farewell address |publisher=CTV |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1126719024327_33?hub=TopStories |url-status=dead |access-date=August 8, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013001953/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1126719024327_33?hub=TopStories |archive-date=October 13, 2007}}</ref>