How Canada's Parliament Works

How Canadians govern themselves is one of the densest chapters of Discover Canada, and one of the most tested. It is easier than it looks once you see it as a few sets of three. This summary follows the guide's chapter on how Canadians govern themselves, checked on 23 September 2026.

Three key facts

The guide opens with three facts about Canada's system of government. Canada is:

1. a federal state, with federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments
2. a parliamentary democracy, where people elect representatives to pass laws and hold the government to account
3. a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary Sovereign as head of state

Three branches of government

The three branches are the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial. The guide says they work together, but also sometimes in creative tension, and that this interplay helps secure Canadians' rights and freedoms.

Three parts of Parliament

Parliament has three parts:

• the Sovereign (the King or Queen)
• the Senate
• the House of Commons

The House of Commons is the representative chamber, made up of members of Parliament 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.

Provincial legislatures follow a similar pattern, with the Lieutenant Governor and the elected Assembly.

Who runs the government

The Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet ministers and is responsible for the operations and policy of the government. Cabinet ministers must keep the confidence of the House. If they are defeated in a non-confidence vote, they have to resign.

How a bill becomes law

A bill is a proposal for a new law. It becomes law only after it passes both chambers and receives royal assent, granted by the Governor General on behalf of the Sovereign. The guide lists seven steps:

1. First reading: the bill is considered read for the first time and is printed
2. Second reading: members debate the bill's principle
3. Committee stage: committee members study it clause by clause
4. Report stage: members can make other amendments
5. Third reading: members debate and vote on the bill
6. Senate: the bill follows a similar process in the Senate
7. Royal assent: the bill receives royal assent after passing both Houses

For the test

The sets of three are what get asked: the three facts, the three branches and the three parts of Parliament. The last step of a bill, royal assent, is another favourite. Our study notes on this chapter and its practice questions cover the rest.