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The Prime Minister of Canada (, is usually the leader of the Political Party with the most seats in the Canadian House Of Commons . The Prime Minister , according to Canadian protocol, is Styled The Right Honourable for life. The Right Honourable Stephen Harper is the current Prime Minister, and was sworn in on February 6 , 2006 . He is the 22nd Prime Minister since Confederation , with his Conservative Party winning 124 of 308 seats in the Last Federal Election . QUALIFICATIONS AND SELECTION The prime minister may be any Canadian and Sir Mackenzie Bowell . If the prime minister should fail to win his or her seat, a junior Member Of Parliament in a safe seat would typically resign to permit a by-election to elect that leader to a seat. However, if the leader of the governing party is changed shortly before an election is due and the new leader is not a Member of Parliament, he or she will normally await the general election before running for a seat. For example, John Turner was briefly prime minister in 1984 without being a member of the House of Commons; he would ironically win his seat in the general election that swept him from power. The official residence of the prime minister is 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa , Ontario . All prime ministers have lived there since Louis St. Laurent in 1951. The prime minister also has a secondary residence at Harrington Lake in Gatineau Park near Ottawa . In earlier years, it was tradition that the sovereign bestow a Knighthood on each new Canadian prime minister. As such, several carry the prefix "Sir" before their name (of the first eight prime ministers, only Alexander Mackenzie refused knighthood). Since the Nickle Resolution of 1919, it is against policy for the sovereign to grant titles to Canadians; the last prime minister knighted was Sir Robert Laird Borden , who was in power when the Nickle Resolution was passed. TERM , First Prime Minister of Canada (1867-1873, 1878-1891)]] A prime minister does not have a fixed term. A prime minister is required to resign only when an opposition party wins a majority of the seats in the House. If his or her party loses a Motion Of No Confidence , a prime minister may resign (allowing another party to form the government), but more often than not will ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and bring about a general election. If a general election gives an opposition party a Plurality of the seats, the incumbent prime minister may attempt to gain the support of another party to retain confidence, or may resign and allow the party that won the most seats to form the government. The latter option has been normal practice in recent years, but is not a constitutional requirement. An election for every seat in the Commons (a " General Election ") is called at most (barring war or insurrection) 5 years after the previous one; however, the prime minister may ask the Governor General to call a general election at virtually any time. No Governor General has refused such a request since 1926 (see the King-Byng Affair ). Customarily, when a Majority Government is in power, elections are called 3.5 to 5 years after the previous election. If a Minority Government is in power, a Vote Of Non Confidence in the House of Commons may lead to a quick election (nine months in the case of the Joe Clark minority government of 1979-1980). ROLE AND AUTHORITY , 10th Prime Minister (1921-1926; 1926-1930; 1935-1948)]] Since the prime minister is, in practice, the most powerful member of the Canadian government, he or she is sometimes erroneously referred to as Canada's Head Of State . The Canadian head of state is Elizabeth II , Queen Of Canada , who is represented by the Governor General Of Canada . The prime minister is the Head Of Government . The office of Prime Minister of Canada is not mentioned in the Canadian Constitution , save for a recently added clause mandating meetings with the provincial premiers. In modern-day Canada, however, his/her prerogatives are largely the duties to which the constitution refers to as the job of the Governor General (who acts as a Figurehead ). The function, duties, responsibilities, and powers of the Prime Minister of Canada were established at Confederation, modeled upon the existing office of the Prime Minister Of The United Kingdom . Over time, the role of the Prime Minister of Canada has evolved, mainly gaining power over the years. , 15th Prime Minister (1968-1979, 1980-1984)]] , 18th Prime Minister (1984-1993)]] The prime minister plays a prominent role in most legislation passed by the Canadian Parliament. The majority of Canadian legislation originates in the Cabinet of Canada, which is a body appointed by the prime minister largely from the ranks of his party's MPs. The Cabinet must have "unanimous" consent on all decisions they make, but in practice whether or not unanimity has been achieved is decided by the prime minister. An elected member of the Canadian House of Commons is usually expected to follow strict Party Discipline , and voting against the party line can have serious disciplinary consequences, up to and including expulsion from the party. Most votes in the House of Commons are generally treated as motions of confidence in Canada, engendering a climate of party solidarity out of strategic necessity. The Prime Minister (and the PMO) essentially controls the appointments of the following positions:
As to the Prime Minister's broad ''de facto'' authority over the Canadian military, see Canadian Forces . Former Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau is credited with consolidating power in the Office Of The Prime Minister (PMO), although the evolution can be seen throughout Canadian history. The PMO consists of the Prime Minister's political and administrative staff hired solely at the PM's discretion. By coordinating communication with the other agents in policy arenas, as well as with the central party apparatus, the PMO can wield considerable influence. This may have the positive effect of a productive parliament, which in turn provides a valid criticism of centralized power in majority governments and the PMO. CRITICISMS OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE In recent times, a few Canadians and some members of Parliament have begun to question the powers the Canadian Constitution confers on the prime minister. In particular, their goal is to find ways to change the decayed role of elected members of the House of Commons, to create a Parliamentary committee to review appointments to the Supreme Court , and the need to abolish or radically restructure the appointed Senate. A 2001 book, ''The Friendly Dictatorship'' by national affairs columnist Jeffrey Simpson , pointed out the potential dangers by detailing what he argues to be near absolute power vested in the prime minister. There are checks on the prime minister's power. Cabinet or caucus revolts will bring down a sitting prime minister quickly, and even the threat of caucus revolts can force a prime minister out of office as happened to Jean Chrétien in 2003. The prime minister is also restricted by the effectively anemic Senate. The Senate can delay and impede legislation, which occurred when Brian Mulroney introduced the Goods And Services Tax (GST). In many cases, the conflicts arose primarily because the Senate was dominated by members appointed by previous governments. The aforementioned Prime Ministers proceeded to shift the Senate in their favour with a flurry of senate appointments to ensure the smooth passage of legislation. As well, as executive power is actually vested in the Canadian Monarch , and "exercised" by the Governor General as the Vice-regal , either body has the power to oppose a Prime Minister's will, as outlined by Senator, and constitutional expert, Eugene Forsey , who stated a "Governor General must take all steps necessary to thwart the will of a ruthless prime minister." This power of the Governor General was used by Governor General Lord Byng against Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King in what is known as the King-Byng Affair of 1926. Some, such as the CBC's Lary Zolf, also speculated whether Governor General Adrienne Clarkson would refuse the recommendation from Prime Minister Jean Chretien to dissolve the Parliament in 2002. [http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_zolf/20020628.html] Near the end of her time as Governor General, 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." [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1126719024327_33?hub=TopStories] The main case given in favour of Prime Ministerial power has to do with the federal structure of the nation. Canada is one of the most decentralized of the world's federations, and provincial premiers have a great deal of power. Constitutional changes must be approved by the provincial premiers, and they must be consulted for any new initiatives in their areas of responsibility, which include many important sectors such as health care and education. In light of regional forces such as the Quebec Sovereignty Movement , some have argued there is a need for a national counterbalance to these pressures. LIST OF CANADIAN PRIME MINISTERS See Also: List of Prime Ministers of Canada LIVING FORMER PRIME MINISTERS There are six living former Prime Ministers of Canada. In order from most recent they are: Only Martin holds a seat in the House of Commons. Chrétien left the House in 2003 and Clark in 2004. EXTERNAL LINKS
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