What are the three parts of Parliament?
- The Governor General, the Premiers and the Senate
- The House of Commons, the Supreme Court and the Prime Minister
- The Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the courts
- The Sovereign, the Senate and the House of Commons
Answer: The Sovereign, the Senate and the House of Commons
Parliament is made up of the Sovereign (King or Queen), the appointed Senate and the elected House of Commons. A bill needs both chambers and royal assent to become law. The Prime Minister, Cabinet and courts are not the three parts of Parliament.
Learn more: Parliamentary democracy
- Elected representatives pass laws, approve and monitor expenditures, and keep the government accountable.
- Parliament has three parts: the Sovereign (King or Queen), the Senate and the House of Commons.
- The House of Commons is the representative chamber of Members of Parliament (MPs), elected by the people, traditionally every four years.
- Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister and serve until age 75.
- The Prime Minister is Head of Government, selects the Cabinet ministers and is responsible for the operations and policy of the government.
- Cabinet ministers run federal government departments; the Cabinet prepares the budget and proposes most new laws. All MPs can question its decisions.
- Cabinet must keep the “confidence of the House” and must resign if defeated in a non-confidence vote. A vote on the budget is a matter of confidence.
- The federal government and Parliament sit in Ottawa, chosen as the capital by Queen Victoria in 1857.