Category Archives: Prime Minister’s Powers

McGuinty Has Every Right to Prorogue

Posted on 2012/10/17 by J.W.J. Bowden

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 Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Prime Minister's Powers, Prorogation, Reaffirmation of, Responsible Government | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Prorogation Should Remain a Prime Ministerial Power

Posted on 2012/07/02 by J.W.J. Bowden

Commanding Confidence is a Binary Proposition: Either the Government Has It, Or It Does Not R. Michael Warren (a former deputy minister in the civil service of Ontario and therefore former practitioner) argued that Primer McGuinty should have advised the … Continue reading →

Posted in Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Prime Minister's Powers, Prorogation, Reaffirmation of, Responsible Government | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Peter Russell on the Prorogation-Coalition Controversy of 2008

Posted on 2012/06/25 by J.W.J. Bowden

Russell’s Errors of Interpretation on Prorogation Ontario News Watch uploaded an interview with Peter Russell on 25 June 2012, in which he displayed his unalloyed Forseyite interpretation of the reserve powers. Russell made several demonstrably incorrect assertions throughout the interview, … Continue reading →

Posted in Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Coalition Government, Conferences and Speeches, Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Formation of Governments, Governor's Discretion, Prime Minister's Powers, Prorogation, Reaffirmation of, Responsible Government, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s Debate on Prime Ministerial Power: Andrew Coyne vs. Sheila Copps

Posted on 2012/05/17 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction On 10 May 2012, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute held a debate on “Power Corrupts Canadian Prime Minister”, the fourth instalment of its History Wars series. Theoretically, Andrew Coyne argued in favour of the resolution and therefore against prime ministerial power, … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences and Speeches, Confidence Convention, Constructive Non-Confidence, Crown (Powers and Office), Prime Minister's Powers, Reform | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Neither the Queen Nor the Governor General Can Dissolve Parliament Unilaterally!

Posted on 2012/04/12 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Radicalism of the “Stop Harper” Lobby and of the High-Tory Monarchists Last year, Bridget DePape abused her position as a Senate Page and mounted a silent protest with her “Stop Harper” sign in the Senate chamber while the Governor … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Dissolution, Governor's Discretion, Prime Minister's Powers, Reaffirmation of, Responsible Government, Whigs v Tories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments