In Canada’s federal state, what does the federal government take responsibility for?
- Local by-laws
- Matters of national and international concern
- Only matters inside Ontario
- Running provincial hospitals
Answer: Matters of national and international concern
The federal government handles matters that affect the whole country or other nations: defence, foreign policy, interprovincial trade and communications, currency, navigation, criminal law and citizenship. Matters such as education, health and highways belong to the provinces.
Learn more: Other levels of government and their elections
- Municipal (local) councils pass laws called by-laws that affect only the local community.
- A council usually includes a mayor (or reeve) and councillors (or aldermen).
- Municipalities usually handle planning, streets and roads, garbage and snow removal, firefighting, ambulance and emergency services, recreation, public transit and some local health and social services. Most big cities have municipal police.
- Provincial and territorial representatives are called MLAs, MNAs, MPPs or MHAs, depending on the province or territory.
- Federal responsibilities include national defence, foreign policy, citizenship, policing, criminal justice, international trade and Aboriginal affairs. Immigration, agriculture and the environment are shared with the provinces.
- Provincial and territorial responsibilities include education, health care, natural resources, highways, and property and civil rights. Ontario and Quebec have provincial policing.
- Provincial, territorial and municipal elections use a secret ballot, but their rules are not the same as federal rules.
- First Nations have band chiefs and councillors, who are responsible for services on reserves such as housing and schools.