Which of the following is a provincial government responsibility?
- Criminal law
- Currency
- Education
- Foreign policy
Answer: Education
Education is provincial. The provinces also handle municipal government, health, natural resources, property and civil rights, and highways. Currency, foreign policy and criminal law are national matters, so they belong to the federal government.
Learn more: Federal state: who does what
- Canada has federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments.
- Federal and provincial powers were defined in 1867 in the British North America Act, now the Constitution Act, 1867.
- Federal responsibilities: defence, foreign policy, interprovincial trade and communications, currency, navigation, criminal law and citizenship.
- Provincial responsibilities: municipal government, education, health, natural resources, property and civil rights, and highways.
- The federal government and the provinces share jurisdiction over agriculture and immigration. The table of government responsibilities also lists the environment as shared.
- Health care is a provincial and territorial responsibility; the Canada Health Act ensures common elements and a basic standard of coverage.
- Federalism lets provinces tailor policies to their own populations and experiment with new ideas.