What do I do if I want to express an opinion I have to a government official?
Canada has three levels of government: federal (Canada), provincial (based on each province), and municipal (based on cities). Canada is made up of 10 provinces and 3 territories. Each Province and Territory has its own Provincial or Territorial Government. There are thousands of municipalities, which also have their own governments.
Municipal Goverment
The municipal government or council is made up of people from your neighbourhood, town or city, who understand your community’s needs. The primary decision making body for the city and is made up of councilors who are elected. The role of council is to develop policies and resolutions based on these policies and ensure that they are carried out. The Mayor is the head of the Council. The Mayor and Council are elected to make decisions on behalf of the citizens. If you want to approach your Mayor or Council about an issue, find out if there is an advisory body that deals with the area you are inquiring about. The Mayor and Council usually meet on an ongoing basis at regularly scheduled Council meetings to make decisions, and these meetings are almost always open to the public.
Provincial Government
The provincial government is made up of people from within the province. Each representative, called a member of the provincial parliament (or MPP) comes from a political party — a group who share the same political ideas and represent a geographical area called a riding. After people have voted, the political party that elects the most MPPs will form the provincial government. Their leader becomes the Premier and he or she is the head of the government. To approach your MPPs you must attend a scheduled board meeting in your riding, and these meetings are mostly open to the public. Some ridings have a downloadable form from their web page and others require you to phone to speak with administrative staff about a request to meet.
Federal Government
The federal government is made up of people from every province in Canada. We also elect the leaders in this government, who in Ottawa (where the Canadian Parliament buildings are) are known as MPs. The political party that elects the most MPs forms the federal government. Their leader becomes our Prime Minister.
For more information on the parliamentary system and how it works, as well as how laws (that enter into government for negotiation as “bills”) get passed, click here.
The Young Decision Makers (YDM) is a body of youth (aged 17 and under) from across the country working collaboratively to ensure that the voices of youth are heard in governments and other decision-making bodies. Everyone is invited to be a part of the Young Decision Makers (YDM) Network. To find out more about YDM and how you can become a member, please click here.