Which two areas do the federal and provincial governments share responsibility for?
- Agriculture and immigration
- Citizenship and foreign policy
- Defence and currency
- Education and health
Answer: Agriculture and immigration
Agriculture and immigration are shared between the federal government and the provinces. Most other areas belong to one level only: for example, defence and currency are federal, while education and health are provincial.
Learn more: Federal state: who does what
- Canada has federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments.
- Federal and provincial powers were defined in 1867 in the British North America Act, now the Constitution Act, 1867.
- Federal responsibilities: defence, foreign policy, interprovincial trade and communications, currency, navigation, criminal law and citizenship.
- Provincial responsibilities: municipal government, education, health, natural resources, property and civil rights, and highways.
- The federal government and the provinces share jurisdiction over agriculture and immigration. The table of government responsibilities also lists the environment as shared.
- Health care is a provincial and territorial responsibility; the Canada Health Act ensures common elements and a basic standard of coverage.
- Federalism lets provinces tailor policies to their own populations and experiment with new ideas.