Category Archives: Confidence Convention

On Collective Ministerial Responsibility and Impeachment

Posted on 2017/01/04 by

Introduction: Ian Brodie’s Article in The Dorchester Review Ian Brodie, one of Stephen Harper’s former chiefs of staff who served him both as Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition and as Prime Minister, contributed an interesting article to the most … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Books, Documentaries, Confidence Convention, Dorchester Review, Parliamentary Privilege, Responsible Government, Reviews and Critiques | 6 Comments

How the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act Complicates Brexit and An Early General Election

Posted on 2016/06/27 by

Fixed-Term Parliaments Act Introduction Various British MPs like Jacob Rees-Mogg and journalists like Peter Hitchens have called for an early general election in the wake of Leave’s victory in the Brexit referendum and Prime Minister Cameron’s announcement that he will … Continue reading →

Posted in Confidence Convention, Constitution (Conventional), Crown (Powers and Office), Dissolution, Fixed-Date Elections, Reform | Leave a comment

Discussion on Government Formation at the University of Ottawa

Posted on 2016/01/27 by

Overall Impressions on the Discussion I thank my friend Phil Lagassé for having invited me to speak on government formation and the caretaker convention to his seminar on parliamentary government and parliamentary reform on 25 January 2015. I’ve uploaded my … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention, Confidence Convention, Constitution (Conventional), Crown (Powers and Office), Succession (Prime Minister) | 1 Comment

Premier Wynne Adopts Prime Minister Harper’s Tactics on Early Dissolution: Will the Media and Scholars Now Vilify Her Accordingly?

Posted on 2013/09/10 by

Harper Showed the Futility and Uselessness of Canadian-Style Fixed-Election Laws in 2008 As the CBC reported in late August 2008, Prime Minister Harper described the 39th Parliament as “dysfunctional”; in other words, he had judged that his minority government would … Continue reading →

Posted in Confidence Convention, Constitution (Conventional), Fixed-Date Elections, Reform | 3 Comments

The Confidence Convention in Ontario: How the Standing Orders Kept the Wynne Government in Power

Posted on 2013/05/23 by

I’d like to thank James Anderson for publishing a slightly abridged version of this column on National News Watch. Introduction Proponents of democratic reform in Canada focus their efforts at the federal level and have overlooked Canada’s most populous province. … Continue reading →

Posted in Confidence Convention, Constitution (Conventional), Reform | 6 Comments