e-4274 (Democratic process)

The Government of Canada is pleased to respond to this petition.

Canada has one of the most respected parliamentary democracies in the world. Our democratic system is designed so that Members of Parliament are elected by their constituents and are held accountable by those constituents at every election cycle. General elections are the fundamental mechanism by which voters hold elected representatives accountable.

It is important to note that our system of government has three branches: the legislative (Parliament), the executive (the Prime Minister and Cabinet) and the judicial (the courts). Each one has separate powers and responsibilities that are defined in the Constitution Act, 1867: the legislative branch passes laws, the executive implements them, and the judicial interprets them.

Law-making is one of the most significant responsibilities of Parliament. To become Canadian federal law, a bill must be approved in identical form by both houses of Parliament – the Senate and the House of Commons before the Governor General grants Royal Assent and the bill becomes a law. All legislative proposals, including those seeking to amend or repeal existing laws, follow a rigorous process of debate and review in Parliament.

Parliament is also responsible for holding the government to account. The executive is responsible to Parliament and remains in power as long as it commands the confidence of the elected House of Commons. Together they are ultimately accountable to electors.

Outside of general elections, Canada’s participatory democracy enables and encourages all Canadians to make their voices heard in the day-to-day democratic process through a variety of means. This includes access to Members of Parliament through the work they do in the House of Commons and committee meetings, or through their constituency offices. More specifically, Canadians can write to their Members of Parliament directly on legislation or other matters of interest, start or sign petitions, and attend live debates and proceedings, as well as most committee meetings in the House of Commons and the Senate, whenever Parliament is in session. Committees also seek input from the public on many ongoing studies that are posted publicly.

Citizens also have many opportunities to actively participate in our democracy, including joining and volunteering for political parties, supporting specific causes or interests, engaging in civil discourse, or even running for office.

The Government remains committed to strengthening and protecting our democratic institutions and citizens’ ability to participate in our democratic processes, because civic engagement is a cornerstone of our democracy.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this issue.