Category Archives: Caretaker Convention & Government Formation

Mark Carney First Asked His Majesty the King to Deliver the Next Speech from the Throne Back in March, Says George Osbourne

Posted on 2025/06/28 by J.W.J. Bowden

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2016, revealed on his podcast Political Currency on 29 May 2025 that Mark Carney had first asked His Majesty the King to open the 45th Parliament as King of Canada back … Continue reading →

Posted in Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Prime Minister's Powers | Leave a comment

Why John Turner “Had No Option”

Posted on 2025/01/08 by J.W.J. Bowden

My hard copy of the latest issue of the Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law arrived in the mail yesterday – delayed, presumably, by the Newmans of the postal strike – including my article on why John Turner sincerely believed … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), My Published Works | 2 Comments

“I Had No Option”: How John Turner Became Pierre Trudeau’s Patronage Patsy in 1984

Posted on 2024/09/25 by J.W.J. Bowden

Pulling the Thread That Unravels the Tapestry  Like many interesting stories, this begins with a mistake and a clerical error. My colleague David Brock and I wrote an article for the Saskatchewan Law Review called “Beyond the Writ: The Expansion … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Formation of Governments | Leave a comment

The Commonwealth Realms Diverge: Whether the Prime Minister Determines the Duration of the Ministry or Not

Posted on 2024/07/10 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction Britons went to the polls on 4 July 2024 and ended up giving Labour a massive majority of 411 out of 650 MPs. By the next morning, outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had already tendered his resignation to … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Commonwealth Realms, Comparative, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office) | Leave a comment

Replacing the Prime Minister During An Election: A Forgotten Canadian Precedent

Posted on 2024/06/11 by J.W.J. Bowden

 Amusing Historical Parallels Voters feel exhausted after years of endless constitutional wrangling and a divisive referendum on the country`s new constitutional arrangements, and they further resent that the political class bogged itself down in this constitutional quagmire and all but … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Commonwealth Realms, Comparative, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Electing & Ousting Party Leaders, Party Discipline | 5 Comments