Category Archives: Succession (Prime Minister)

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


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


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


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


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

The Parti Quebecois’ Contempt for the Constitution: Limiting the Premier to Two Consecutive “Mandates” in Office


Introduction Quebec Premier Jean Charest advised the Lieutenant Governor to dissolve the 39th National Assembly on 1 August 2012 so that Quebeckers cast their ballots on 4 September 2012.[1] Charest’s Liberals face Pauline Marois’ Parti Québécois (PQ) and Francois Legault’s … Continue reading

Posted in Appointment of PM, Coalition Government, Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Fixed-Date Elections, Formation of Governments, Governor's Discretion, Parliamentary Privilege, Reaffirmation of, Reform, Responsible Government, Succession (Prime Minister) | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments