| Prime Minister of Canada | |
|---|---|
| Premier ministre du Canada | |
| Government of Canada Privy Council Office | |
| Style |
|
| Abbreviation | PM |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | House of Commons |
| Residence | 24 Sussex Drive[b] |
| Seat | Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council building |
| Appointer | Monarch (represented by the governor general)[3] with the confidence of the House of Commons[4] |
| Term length | At His Majesty's pleasure |
| Constituting instrument | None (constitutional convention) |
| Inaugural holder | John A. Macdonald |
| Formation | July 1, 1867 |
| Deputy | Deputy Prime Minister |
| Salary | CA$406,200 (2024)[5] |
| Website | pm |
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The prime minister of Canada (French: premier ministre du Canada)[note 1] is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the confidence of a majority of the elected House of Commons; as such, the prime minister typically sits as a member of Parliament (MP) and leads the largest party or a coalition of parties. As first minister, the prime minister selects ministers to form the Cabinet.
Not outlined in any constitutional document, the prime minister is appointed by the monarch's representative, the governor general and the office exists per long-established convention. Constitutionally, executive authority is vested in the monarch (who is the head of state), but, in practice, the powers of the monarch and governor general are nearly always exercised on the advice of the Cabinet,[6] which is collectively responsible to the House of Commons. Canadian prime ministers are appointed to the Privy Council and styled as the Right Honourable (French: le très honorable),[note 2] a privilege maintained for life.
The prime minister is supported by the Prime Minister's Office and heads the Privy Council Office.[7] The prime minister also selects individuals for appointment as governor general (in the federal jurisdiction) and lieutenant governor (in the provinces), as well as to the Senate of Canada, Supreme Court of Canada, other federal courts, and the chairs and boards of various Crown corporations.
Since Confederation in 1867, 23 prime ministers (twenty-two men and one woman) have formed 29 ministries.[8] Justin Trudeau is the current prime minister, who took office on November 4, 2015, following the 2015 federal election, wherein his Liberal Party won a majority of seats. Trudeau's Liberals subsequently won a plurality of seats in the 2019 and 2021 elections, leaving Trudeau with minority governments.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ a b Heritage, Canadian (October 16, 2017). "Styles of address". aem. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ^ "The Canadian Parliamentary system - Our Procedure - House of Commons". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- ^ "Constitutional Duties". The Governor General of Canada. Archived from the original on April 23, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- ^ "House of Commons Procedure and Practice - 1. Parliamentary Institutions - Canadian Parliamentary Institutions". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- ^ "Indemnities, Salaries and Allowances". Parliament of Canada. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ Brooks, Stephen (2007). Canadian Democracy: An Introduction (5 ed.). Don Mills: Oxford University Press. pp. 233–234. ISBN 978-0-19-543103-2.
- ^ "Privy Council Office | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ "Prime Ministers of Canada". Library of the Canadian Parliament. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
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