Who represents the Sovereign at the federal level in Canada?
- The Chief Justice
- The Governor General
- The Prime Minister
- The Speaker of the Senate
Answer: The Governor General
The Governor General represents the Sovereign for Canada as a whole. He or she is appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister, usually for five years, and grants royal assent to bills. In the provinces, Lieutenant Governors play this role.
Learn more: Provincial and territorial government
- Every province has its own elected Legislative Assembly; a provincial legislature is the Lieutenant Governor plus the elected Assembly.
- The Premier’s role in a province is similar to the Prime Minister’s federally.
- The Lieutenant Governor represents the Sovereign in each of the ten provinces, a role similar to the Governor General’s.
- Lieutenant Governors are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister, normally for five years.
- In each of the three territories, a Commissioner represents the federal government and plays a ceremonial role.
- Provincial and territorial members are called MLAs (Legislative Assembly), MNAs (National Assembly, in Quebec), MPPs (Provincial Parliament) or MHAs (House of Assembly), depending on the province or territory.