Category Archives: Responsible Government

A Classical Liberal Defence of Constitutional Monarchy

Posted on 2017/07/20 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction: The Strange Americanism of Canadian Libertarians  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 … Continue reading →

Posted in Monarchism v Republicanism, Parliamentarism v Presidentialism, Responsible Government, Separation of Powers | 5 Comments

Harjit Sajjan and the Architecture of Ministerial Responsibility

Posted on 2017/05/04 by J.W.J. Bowden

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 Individual vs Collective Ministerial Responsibility, Responsible Government | 2 Comments

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

Posted on 2017/04/04 by J.W.J. Bowden

  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 Commonwealth Realms, Comparative, Parliamentarism v Presidentialism, Responsible Government, Separation of Powers | 3 Comments

Collective Ministerial Responsibility and Censure in Australia

Posted on 2017/01/09 by J.W.J. Bowden

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 Censure or Impeachment of Ministers, Individual vs Collective Ministerial Responsibility, Parliamentary Privilege, Responsible Government | 3 Comments

On Collective Ministerial Responsibility and Impeachment

Posted on 2017/01/04 by J.W.J. Bowden

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 recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles and Books, Censure or Impeachment of Ministers, Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Dorchester Review, History of British North America, Individual vs Collective Ministerial Responsibility, Parliament, Parliamentary Privilege, Responsible Government, Reviews, Separation of Powers | 6 Comments