Category Archives: Succession (Prime Minister)

The Upcoming Transfer of Power Between Justin Trudeau and Mark Carney

Posted on 2025/03/10 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Ministry Depends on the Prime Minister The Governor General’s first constitutional duty is to appoint a Prime Minister and ensure the continuity of government. The Governor General usually appoints the leader of the political party which has either an … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Crown (Powers and Office), Formation of Governments, Succession (Prime Minister) | Leave a comment

“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

Kathleen Wynne’s Fairy Tale of the Invincible Premier

Posted on 2016/12/21 by J.W.J. Bowden

In a recent interview with the Toronto Star, Premier Wynne responded to the lingering suspicions that she will soon resign as leader of the Liberal Party of Ontario and as Premier of Ontario with a novel theory on the authority … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Formation of Governments, Succession (Prime Minister) | Leave a comment

Discussion on Government Formation at the University of Ottawa

Posted on 2016/01/27 by J.W.J. Bowden

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 & Government Formation, Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Succession (Prime Minister) | 1 Comment

Conservative Partisans Celebrate the Wrong Date! Transitions Between Ministries in Canada

Posted on 2013/01/23 by J.W.J. Bowden

Prime Ministerial succession does not occur automatically and instantaneously under our constitution, but only after a transition of two to three weeks, after the outgoing Prime Minister has tendered his formal resignation to the Governor, and after the Governor has … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Governor's Discretion, Succession (Prime Minister) | 1 Comment