The Government of British Columbia

Government in Canada is federal which means that it is governed by several levels of government – national, provincial and municipal.

Government in Canada is divided into federal, provincial (or territorial), and municipal (or local).

Federal Government

The national or federal government makes laws for the entire country and is responsible for areas of national interest rather than regional or local interest. The federal government is responsible for:

• peace, order, good government
• foreign affairs (also treaties)
• national defence, and militias
• federal taxes
• international trade and commerce
• interprovincial trade and commerce
• international and interprovincial transport and communications
• banking and currency
• citizenship
• weights, measures, copyrights, patents
• First Nations
• unemployment insurance and federally-administered pensions

The federal government, or The Government of Canada has two law-making bodies: the House of Commons and the Senate. B.C. residents are represented by 40 elected federal Members of Parliament (MPs) and six appointed Senators.

A Prime Minister and appointed ministers make up the federal Cabinet. The Cabinet consists of MPs chosen by the Prime Minister to head government departments and other important offices. Canadian government also includes a Governor General who represents the Queen in Canada who is the official Head of State.

Stephen Harper , leader of the Conservative Party, became Prime Minister of Canada on February 6, 2006. Michaëlle Jean is the current Governor General of Canada.

Check the Canadian government’s main page for more information about government in Canada. How Canadians Govern Themselves and the Wikipedia site also explain the structure and workings of the federal government in more detail.

Provincial Government

Canada has 10 provinces and three territories. Each province has its own powers that cannot be altered by the federal government. British Columbia is one of the 10 provinces of Canada. Territories are created by the federal government, which decides what powers and jurisdictions a territory can exercise. There are three territories in Canada: the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon.

Each province and territory has a legislative assembly (parliament). B.C.’s legislature has 85 members who are elected every four years. A member of the B.C. provincial legislature is called a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).

The provincial government can pass laws that affect the province, but it cannot pass laws that are within the federal government’s responsibilities, except where there is a federal-provincial agreement or where joint federal-provincial powers have been agreed on previously.

Provincial governments are responsible for:

• education
• welfare
• administration of justice
• municipalities
• some local works (roads, water, sewage, etc.)
• intra-province (within B.C.) transport and business
• property and civil rights
• cooperatives and savings banks

Canada is considered to be a highly decentralized in its division of powers between the federal and provincial governments.

The Lieutenant Governor

Each province has a Lieutenant-Governor who represents the Queen. The Lieutenant Governor is the highest official in the province. The Lieutenant Governor in British Columbia is currently The Honourable Steven L. Point, OBC.

Have a look at the B.C. Government’s Discover Your Legislature document for more detailed information on government in B.C. You can also visit the B.C. Government’s main site, the B.C. Legislature, or watch a video.

The Legislative Assembly

The provincial assembly, or Legislature of B.C., operates under a parliamentary system. It is much like the federal parliament, except it has one chamber (there is no provincial Senate) and only 85 members.

By law, provincial elections in British Columbia are held every 4 years. The last election was on May 12, 2009. After the election, the Lieutenant Governor appoints the leader of the political party with the most elected members as the Premier. The Premier then appoints people from those elected members or elsewhere to be members of the executive council or cabinet.

The current Premier of British Columbia is The Honourable Gordon Campbell.

The Premier and Cabinet together make government policy and run the day-to-day affairs of the province. Each member of the Cabinet is usually given a department or ministry to run or administer. The Premier and all Cabinet members report to, and must answer to, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The Legislative Assembly, the Premier and the Cabinet are made up of those who were elected by the people of British Columbia.

Local Government

Local governments in B.C. include municipalities, regional districts, special purpose districts and local boards and agencies.

Municipalities usually mean cities, towns and villages. Regional districts provide services to several municipalities and tend to cover a wider area than just a city or town.

For example, the Captial Regional District provides services to all the municipalities around Victoria. Taxation revenue for municipal and regional services comes mainly from property taxes (taxes on your home and property if you own a house) and grants from the provincial government.

Municipal Government

The government of a city, town or village is called a municipal government. The powers and responsibilities of municipal government come from the Constitution Act, 1982 through provincial or territorial government legislation – usually a municipal act, a local government act or cities and towns act.

Municipal governments take care of local services such as:

• police and fire protection
• city streets
• libraries
• parks and community centres
• urban and rural development
• property taxation and rights
• roads, sewers, garbage collection

Most municipalities in B.C. belong to one of 28 regional districts. Regional districts combine services from several municipalities and take care of things like water, sewage and garbage collection.

The provincial government plays an important role in setting local government budgets, priorities and powers.

You’ll find more information on local, municipal and regional government in B.C. in Local Government in BC: A Community Effort. (PDF - 3.2 Mb).

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, or “the Charter”, guarantees political and civil rights for all people in Canada. It was signed into law by Queen Elizabeth II of Canada on April 17th 1982.

Your rights and freedoms while in Canada will be protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It was introduced to protect people from discrimination based on race, sex, age, skin colour, religion, disability or sexual orientation.

The Charter came into effect on April 17, 1982. It safeguards and guarantees:

• freedom of expression
• a democractic government
• your right to live and seek employment anywhere in Canada
• a lawyer and legal representation if you are accused of a crime
• Aboriginal peoples’ rights
• equality between women and men
• your right to use either of Canada’s official languages
• the right of French and English people to an education in their own language
• protection of cultures and traditions from other parts of the world inside Canada (multiculturalism)

Contacting the Government

You can contact the B.C. Provincial Government or the Canadian Government directly by phone, fax, letter or email.


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