1. Analyze the structure and functions of Alberta’s provincial government by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
(a) How is the provincial government structured?
(a) How is the provincial government structured?
(b) What is the role and status of the Lieutenant Governor within the provincial government?
- Represents the Queen in all government matters
- Issue the Royal Proclamation which calls the Legislative Assembly into session
- Read the speech from the throne at the opening of each session of parliament
- Grant royal assent to bills which have passed the third reading in the Assembly
- Approve cabinet orders
- Dissolve the Legislative Assembly when an election is called
- Ensure that the province always has a Premier who has the confidence of the majority of the elected Members of the Assembly
(c) What are the responsibilities of the provincial government (i.e., laws, taxes, services)?
- When we refer to the responsibilities of the provincial government, we really are referring to the responsibilities of the Premier and the Cabinet Ministers. Some examples of these are:
- Provincial courts
- Supervising and selling land and natural resources (forests, minerals, oil and gas)
- Environmental issues (oil sands etc..)
- Education - building new schools (like ours) and paying for educational programs
- Constructing and repairing highways
- Providing health and welfare services (hospitals, clinics, immunizations etc..)
- Registry Services (issuing various kinds of licenses - driver's license, marriage license etc...)
- Collecting taxes to pay for health care, education, roads etc....
(d) How are representatives chosen at the provincial level of government (i.e., electoral process)?
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(e) What are the differences between the responsibilities of a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and a cabinet minister?
- There are way too many to all list here, but know this:
- A Cabinet Minister is a MLA
- However, he/she has extra duties/responsibilities related to one of the cabinets in our province: Education, Health Care, Transportation & Roads, Environment etc..