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The office of prime minister is not mentioned in Canada's founding constitution, the British North America Act of 1867. Yet the prime minister has
always stood at the heart of Canadian government.
In our parliamentary democracy, Canada's governor general acts, with very few exceptions, on the
advice given by ministers who hold the support of the people's elected
representatives in the House of Commons. The key to that system has
always been the prime minister. In theory, the prime minister may be an
anonymous adviser. In fact, he or she is the public face of power in Canada.
The prime minister leads the team of ministers, called the cabinet,
which runs the government of Canada on a day-to-day basis. The
government's survival depends upon support from Parliament, so a prime
minister will also lead one of the political parties represented in the
House of Commons in Ottawa.
Prime ministers are not always chosen by general elections. If the
party in office changes leaders, the new party leader becomes prime minister
automatically. In the end, however,
general elections decide which party will dominate the House of Commons,
so a successful prime minister must also be a strong party leader. Many
prime ministers have been dynamic public campaigners, able to rally
support among Canadian voters.
Some prime ministers have held office for years, others for just
weeks. All have faced the challenge of trying to administer the government,
control business in Parliament, and lead the nation.
Sir John A. Macdonald said, "Canada is a hard country to
govern." A century later, another prime minister, Lester Pearson,
recalled those words and added, "I am perhaps more aware of that than I used
to be."
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Before 1968, prime ministers of Canada were customarily
invited to join the Privy Council of Great Britain, a position
which carried with it the lifetime title of "Right Honourable."
Prime ministers who were members only of the Canadian Privy Council
were titled "Honourable." Today, all prime ministers are designated
"Right Honourable" for life from the moment they assume office.
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