Category Archives: Appointment of PM

My Latest Article in the Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law: How Governor General Lord Aberdeen Reinforced the Caretaker Convention and Dismissed Prime Minister Tupper from Office

Posted on 2022/07/14 by J.W.J. Bowden

I first uncovered the correspondence in which Governor General Lord Aberdeen dismissed Prime Minister Sir Charles Tupper from office in July 1896 all the way back in 2012 while conducting research on something else. The documents have proven more fruitful … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Governor General, Governor's Discretion | 2 Comments

The Convoy Appeals to the Governor General to Overthrow Responsible Government

Posted on 2022/02/23 by J.W.J. Bowden

If you observe politics closely for somewhere between 10 and 15 years, you see pretty much everything at least once, as narratives and ideas switch parties and cycle through and recycle through yet again, with partisans on all sides remaining … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Crown (Powers and Office), Responsible Government | 2 Comments

1896: Tupper & Laurier Debate the Role of Governor General and Popular vs Parliamentary Sovereignty

Posted on 2020/04/08 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction   On 8 July 1896, Governor General Lord Aberdeen forced Prime Minister Sir Charles Tupper from office by refusing to promulgate his constitutional advice and sign off on Orders-in-Council to summon senators and make other appointments. Tupper sought to fill … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Dorchester Review, Formation of Governments, History of British North America | 3 Comments

“There’s Nothing Strategic About This”: How Dwight Ball’s “New Government” Distorted the Caretaker Convention

Posted on 2019/08/01 by J.W.J. Bowden

By James Bowden & Lyle Skinner[1]   Table of Contents Introduction: An Early Election Leads to a Hung Parliament The Caretaker Convention in Canada and Newfoundland & Labrador Summoning the New House of Assembly, Electing the Speaker, and Tabling the … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Comparative, Confirmation Voting, Constitutional Conventions, Constructive Non-Confidence, Crown (Powers and Office), Officialization of Convention, Succession (Prime Minister) | 1 Comment

Some Discretion: On Dissolution and the Lieutenant Governor

Posted on 2017/06/29 by J.W.J. Bowden

  Here are the general principles at play in dissolving legislatures and appointing premiers if Premier Clark’s ministry loses the confidence of the legislative assembly today.

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Crown (Powers and Office), Dissolution, Formation of Governments, Lieutenant Governors | 1 Comment