Category Archives: Responsible Government

David Onley Defends Responsible Government


Introduction I’d like to thank David Watson of the Ottawa Citizen for having published my and Nick MacDonald’s column, “Onley Provides Much Needed Education.” It follows up on our earlier column from October 2012, “McGuinty Had Every Right to Prorogue,” … Continue reading

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Governor's Discretion, Prorogation, Reaffirmation of, Responsible Government | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

David Johnston on the Constitutional Relationship Between the Governor General and the Prime Minister


Governor General Johnston’s Remarks On 11 December 2012, Sandie Rinaldo interviewed Governor General David Johnston, who provided some good insights on the proper constitutional relationship between the Governor and Prime Minister under our system of Responsible Government.[1] Governor General David … Continue reading

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Responsible Government | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Alexander Hamilton Recommended Responsible Government in 1788


Alexander Hamilton’s “executive packet” of The Federalist Papers (67-77) provides learned historical and comparative analyses of the Constitution of 1787 relative to the British system and to the systems of government in the several American states. Hamilton’s strong grasp of … Continue reading

Posted in Confidence Convention, History of British North America, Origins, Responsible Government | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“In Vogue to Prorogue?” CBC’s At-Issue Panel on Prorogation


On 18 October 2012, Peter Mansbridge, Andrew Coyne, Chantal Hebert, and Bruce Anderson discussed McGuinty’s prorogation on CBC’s At-Issue Panel, from about 7 minutes to 10 minutes in the video. The panellists also discussed the Harper government’s second omnibus budget … Continue reading

Posted in Constitution (Conventional), Crown (Powers and Office), Prime Minister's Powers, Prorogation, Reaffirmation of, Responsible Government | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

McGuinty Has Every Right to Prorogue


Column in the Ottawa Citizen In our ongoing scholarship on the prerogative power of prorogation, Nick MacDonald and I submitted a column to the Ottawa Citizen defending the constitutionality and political legitimacy of McGuinty’s tactical prorogation. This study compares McGuinty’s … Continue reading

Posted in Constitution (Conventional), Crown (Powers and Office), Prime Minister's Powers, Prorogation, Reaffirmation of, Responsible Government | Tagged , , | 7 Comments