Activity 2 page 2

 

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If you were to choose a political party to support, would you have the information you need to do so? The basis for choosing which party to vote for is often where a party stands on issues important to you and your community. Decisions are based on what people see as important to their quality of life. Often, the political decisions made by your government influence your choices.

In Canada, we have several political parties because Canadians hold many points of view and perspectives.

The House of Commons in 2019 has a total of 338 seats. To receive a majority, a political party must win more than half the seats in an election. If a party does not win 169 seats, but it receives the most seats, then the party forms a minority government.

Political parties are an important part of government. After a government is formed, the parties have varying roles and responsibilities. The governing party (party with the most seats) forms the executive branch of government. The party in power (the government) then begins the role of governing - this involves the preparation of legislation and perhaps the amending of current legislation.

The party with the next largest number of seats becomes the official opposition party. Challenging and questioning the governing party on its policies and decisions is the major role of the official opposition party and its leader, called the Leader of the Official Opposition.

The remaining members of the governing party (called backbenchers) and the opposition parties participate in the legislative branch.

majority government: one party has more than half of the seats in the House of Commons

minority government: a situation in which the party that forms the government wins the most seats but does not win the majority (fifty percent or more) of the seats

official opposition party: the political party with the second-most seats in the House of Commons

Vocabulary

Using your Issues for Canadians Definitions handout that you have saved to your Activities folder, record the definitions for political party (from the previous page), majority government, minority government, and official opposition party.

Save your updated definitions handout to your Activities folder.