Responsible Government, the Governor General, and the Proroguing of Parliament

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Responsible Government, the Governor General, and the Proroguing of Parliament
The decision to prorogue Parliament was an important one. The importance may be explained through the decision’s implications on two areas of Canadian democracy: that is, responsible government and the role of the Governor General. Responsible government, briefly defined, is the responsibility of the cabinet to remain subject to the legislature. One of the most important ways that this responsibility is enforced is through confidence. If the legislature loses confidence in the cabinet then that cabinet must resign. The confidence of the legislature is an essential part of responsible government. And recent events in Canadian politics have interestingly connected...

.....ately, it must be understood that the Governor General should not have approved Harper’s proroguing of Parliament. The Governor General is indeed committed to more binding democratic ideals than simple blind faith to the Prime Minister. The refusal of the Governor General would have resulted in another election and this occurrence, far from being un-democratic, is what responsible government is based upon.
Works Cited
Heard, Andrew. “The Governor General’s Decision to Prorogue Parliament: A Chronology and Assessment” Constitutional Forum 18.1 (2009): 1-11.
Leuprecht
, Christian and James McHugh. “Fixed Election Cycles: A Genuine Alternative to Responsible and Responsive Government” Commonwealth and Comparative Politics 46.4 (2008): 415-441.