Category Archives: Crown (Powers and Office)

Parliamentary Oaths of Allegiance in the Westminster System

Posted on 2011/10/23 by J.W.J. Bowden

In Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, the MP must take the oath of allegiance in order to take his or her seat in the House and gain the emoluments of the office. I will list the oaths and briefly enumerate … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Loyal Opposition, Oaths of Allegiance, Parliamentary Privilege | 15 Comments

The Maple Crown and the Commonwealth Realms

Posted on 2011/09/22 by J.W.J. Bowden

On September 21, 2011, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, an excellent new thinktank on public policy, hosted a presentation on a recently published book 1911: The Decisive Election that Shaped the Country precisely 100 years to the day when the results of … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences and Speeches, Monarchism v Republicanism, The Personal Union | 21 Comments

Prorogation As Prime Ministerial Delay Tactic: A Legitimate Parliamentary Tool, Not “Abuse” of Prerogative

Posted on 2011/08/29 by J.W.J. Bowden

UPDATE, July 2019: Please see this post on “Sir John Major’s Hypocrisy on Prorogation” for an in-depth explanation of how Major obtained a prorogation in 1997 in order to prevent Sir Gordon Downey from tabling his report into the Cash-for-Questions … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Governor's Discretion, Prime Minister's Powers, Prorogation | 14 Comments

Fixed Elections in the Provinces, Part III: Analyses and Conclusions

Posted on 2011/08/22 by J.W.J. Bowden

Characteristics and Purposes of the Fixed-Election Laws Section 56.1 of the Canada Elections Act established fixed elections for the Parliament of Canada every four years on the third Monday in October, but necessarily preserves the constitutional powers of the governor … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Dissolution, Fixed-Date Elections, Prime Minister's Powers | 20 Comments

Fixed Elections in the Provinces, Part II

Posted on 2011/08/21 by J.W.J. Bowden

The list in Fixed Elections in the Provinces, Part I shows a clear trend toward the establishment of fixed-elections laws in Canada. British Columbia led the charge in 2001 and set the basic formula that all other provincial legislatures, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Dissolution, Fixed-Date Elections, Prime Minister's Powers | 4 Comments