Category Archives: Responsible Government

The Strange Americanism of Canadian Libertarians

Posted on 2017/07/20 by

Introduction  Since 2011 when I attended one of the Institute for Liberal Studies’ Liberty Summer Seminars (LSS), I’ve noticed that Canadian libertarians often demonstrate a strange American streak, and that their understanding of constitutions and systems of government are steeped … Continue reading →

Posted in Monarchism v Republicanism, Parliamentarism v Presidentialism, Responsible Government | 3 Comments

Sajjan and the Architecture of Ministerial Responsibility

Posted on 2017/05/04 by

Introduction A controversy has erupted around Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence and a retired Lieutenant-Colonel in the Canadian Army who served three tours of duty in Afghanistan, over remarks that he made in a speech to the Observer Research … Continue reading →

Posted in Responsible Government | 2 Comments

Why The Finance Minister Is the Most Important After the Prime Minister

Posted on 2017/04/04 by

  Introduction If you asked Canadians, Britons, or Australians which minister is the most important after the prime minister, you would almost invariably get the same answer: the Finance Minister — known as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Parliamentarism v Presidentialism, Responsible Government | 3 Comments

Collective Ministerial Responsibility and Censure in Australia

Posted on 2017/01/09 by

One of my Australian readers commented on the previous post and linked to House of Representatives Practice, the Australian equivalent of O’Brien and Bosc’s tome, and its commentary on the censure of an individual minister. Prime Minister and other Ministers From time … Continue reading →

Posted in Parliamentary Privilege, Responsible Government | 3 Comments

On Collective Ministerial Responsibility and Impeachment

Posted on 2017/01/04 by

Introduction: Ian Brodie’s Article in The Dorchester Review Ian Brodie, one of Stephen Harper’s former chiefs of staff who served him both as Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition and as Prime Minister, contributed an interesting article to the most … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles and Books, Confidence Convention, Dorchester Review, Parliamentary Privilege, Responsible Government, Reviews and Critiques | 6 Comments