The Queen of England is not the head of state of Canada. She is also the Queen of Canada and 13 other states. The Queen of Canada is currently the Canadian head of state.
@VutheMonk when us Canadians vote, we are voting for an MP which represents the area that you live. The party that gets the more MP's than the other parties, wins, and the head of that party (in this case Stephen Harper) becomes the Prime Minister.
Ok I thought that my government was complicated (American) but I still believe so. You guys have a luxury to not have to listen to those annoying add EVERY September through election day in November. Personally I wish we could have done something about bush but I guarantee that americans would want Obama out in a heartbeat. If you think Canadian parliament is complex. I'll tell you wrong and how American government is more complex
@GeoNerd94 Personally, I wish, as do all my fellow Canadians, that you Americans HAD done somthing about Bush!! That man treated our country like something he scraped off the bottom of his shoe. Anyway, I think it's safe to say that our two governments are very different, but each is complex in its own way. And yet -- we're still friend!! :)
@mbrennan27 That's because ours is effective and actually does things to forward the country, not argue over religious morals and Privatization like the Republicans do with the Democrats.
@JoseDCampa We vote for MP's and then our gov't is chosen from those MP's. Typically the leader of the party with the most seats then becomes Prime Minister, however in the case that they cannot keep confidence our Gov. General can appoint another leader as Prime Minister.
This is a great easy and funny way to learn about the workings of Canadian government. I wish Mercer was my prof... Wait. Queen's can't afford to pay him..
@TheRimDoctor not technoally my history teacher told the class that the govner general has the right to say no to any bill that is passed (it never happenes but it could)
@fun747 Your history teacher is dead wrong. I will explain how to you. So sit back, I'm having fun writing this. In Canada when we first became a dominion of Britain, we were essentially still a colony that governs it's own affairs, so we had the Governor General represent the King and Crown, and was essentially the absolute head honcho. In the boer war in 1900, Britain went to war with Dutch Boers in South Africa. She called on Canada, even though she didn't need to and because Canada was...
@fun747 ..because Canada was a Dominion of Britain without control over our own foreign policy, we had no choice but to assemble an army and tin-pot navy to go to South Africa and fight. We certainly didn't need to, but Britain was stretching it's muscles to show off to Germany that she could call on anyone in the world to fight. Flash forward to World War 1, we still had no control over foreign policy, and that lead to Canada getting slaughtered at the Somme, and Newfoundland getting..
@fun747 ..And Newfoundland getting wiped out at Beaumont-Hamel. After this, the Independance from Britain movement started in Canada. It reached the epitome when Prime Minister Robert Borden asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament. He refused. Borden was infuriated and wrote and signed a bill that said the Governor General is not allowed to refuse the Prime Minister of anything or they will be thrown out of his position. In 1931, Canada signed the Treaty of Westminster which gave...
@fun747 ...which gave Canada complete control over her foreign affairs, and so ends any power Britain or Britain's representatives had over Canadian Law. However, the useless Canadian Senate can refuse a bill if they deem it too irresponsible of the government. But since the Senate is under orders of Parliament they really have no power on whether bills and laws are passed, and so whether a bill is passed is on each individual MP when they vote Yes or No on the bill. Thats how Canadian Law works
God Save Our Queen.
LordWellington15 1 month ago
I hate Harper. Omg.
yacantdohowido 1 month ago
The Queen of England is not the head of state of Canada. She is also the Queen of Canada and 13 other states. The Queen of Canada is currently the Canadian head of state.
HondoTrailside 1 month ago
@HondoTrailside True, its not Queen of England, its Queen of Canada.
LordWellington15 1 month ago
@HondoTrailside Who exactly is the Queen of Canada?
You're too funny...
AWDracer 6 days ago
still dont get it
TheSilverMoon5 1 month ago
Graphs were held upside down lololol
tom505 2 months ago
LOL I remember taking the oath of allegiance... XD
PaddySnuffles 2 months ago
If they taught this in grade 9 IB history class, we IB students would have never taken civics, saving time and enjoying our summer.
Nevertheless, still informative and extremely funny.
grenadasparta 2 months ago
Stephen Harper wasn't choosen by the people? What the hell? What's the point of us voting then?
VutheMonk 2 months ago
@VutheMonk when us Canadians vote, we are voting for an MP which represents the area that you live. The party that gets the more MP's than the other parties, wins, and the head of that party (in this case Stephen Harper) becomes the Prime Minister.
zeaira 2 months ago
@VutheMonk no we choose a party and the person who is running for prime minister gets in ..............so we do....but we also kinda dont
MrCheesypuf 2 months ago
@VutheMonk you DO know that when you vote, you vote for a party, and not a person in particular right?
olivierlar 1 month ago
@olivierlar Actually when you vote, you do vote for a person in particular. The MP...
Clessidra123 1 month ago
@Clessidra123 hmmm true
olivierlar 1 month ago
Ok I thought that my government was complicated (American) but I still believe so. You guys have a luxury to not have to listen to those annoying add EVERY September through election day in November. Personally I wish we could have done something about bush but I guarantee that americans would want Obama out in a heartbeat. If you think Canadian parliament is complex. I'll tell you wrong and how American government is more complex
GeoNerd94 2 months ago
@GeoNerd94 Personally, I wish, as do all my fellow Canadians, that you Americans HAD done somthing about Bush!! That man treated our country like something he scraped off the bottom of his shoe. Anyway, I think it's safe to say that our two governments are very different, but each is complex in its own way. And yet -- we're still friend!! :)
Peppi94 2 months ago
Governor General gets carte blanche to send all our money to Haiti without asking. You missed that point.
CATSASS1117 2 months ago
I love you rick, I'm so glad I'm glad i'm not the only one who hates john baird
KendrickMan 3 months ago
Man, I wish he was around when I was in the ninth grade and learned this stuff. I slept through every class back then.
Rebailu 3 months ago
thanks to this i got an 86 on my canadian studies exam thanks rick.
tobinbryan 3 months ago
3:56 can't stop laughing my ass off
knuckles91444 3 months ago
I pray that I live to see the day the monarchy is kicked out of Canada.
warsilver99 3 months ago
Comment removed
IamAlastair 3 months ago
i am american i don't understand ur government
mbrennan27 3 months ago
@mbrennan27 That's because ours is effective and actually does things to forward the country, not argue over religious morals and Privatization like the Republicans do with the Democrats.
TheRimDoctor 3 months ago
Long live the Queen.
FriendlyMcDonnell 4 months ago
So, you don't vote for a Prime Minister; You vote for Members of Parliament? Then THEY vote on a Prime Minister?
JoseDCampa 4 months ago
@JoseDCampa Yup.
prankstertwins 4 months ago
@JoseDCampa We vote for MP's and then our gov't is chosen from those MP's. Typically the leader of the party with the most seats then becomes Prime Minister, however in the case that they cannot keep confidence our Gov. General can appoint another leader as Prime Minister.
kal794 4 months ago
@JoseDCampa yeah... we're a very roundabout nation... we dont really like to make decisions... which is why we still follow her majesty...
but we have poutine and good beer so we're ok
cavemantiger 3 months ago
This is a great easy and funny way to learn about the workings of Canadian government. I wish Mercer was my prof... Wait. Queen's can't afford to pay him..
sarahlee901 4 months ago
were not even a demorcacy
fun747 4 months ago
@fun747 Yes, we're a consitiutional democracy. We vote. The people we vote for vote between them for people to lead the country.
TheRimDoctor 4 months ago 32
@TheRimDoctor not technoally my history teacher told the class that the govner general has the right to say no to any bill that is passed (it never happenes but it could)
fun747 3 months ago
@fun747 Your history teacher is dead wrong. I will explain how to you. So sit back, I'm having fun writing this. In Canada when we first became a dominion of Britain, we were essentially still a colony that governs it's own affairs, so we had the Governor General represent the King and Crown, and was essentially the absolute head honcho. In the boer war in 1900, Britain went to war with Dutch Boers in South Africa. She called on Canada, even though she didn't need to and because Canada was...
TheRimDoctor 3 months ago
@fun747 ..because Canada was a Dominion of Britain without control over our own foreign policy, we had no choice but to assemble an army and tin-pot navy to go to South Africa and fight. We certainly didn't need to, but Britain was stretching it's muscles to show off to Germany that she could call on anyone in the world to fight. Flash forward to World War 1, we still had no control over foreign policy, and that lead to Canada getting slaughtered at the Somme, and Newfoundland getting..
TheRimDoctor 3 months ago
@fun747 ..And Newfoundland getting wiped out at Beaumont-Hamel. After this, the Independance from Britain movement started in Canada. It reached the epitome when Prime Minister Robert Borden asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament. He refused. Borden was infuriated and wrote and signed a bill that said the Governor General is not allowed to refuse the Prime Minister of anything or they will be thrown out of his position. In 1931, Canada signed the Treaty of Westminster which gave...
TheRimDoctor 3 months ago
@TheRimDoctor ok you can stop i dont really care
fun747 3 months ago
@fun747 ...which gave Canada complete control over her foreign affairs, and so ends any power Britain or Britain's representatives had over Canadian Law. However, the useless Canadian Senate can refuse a bill if they deem it too irresponsible of the government. But since the Senate is under orders of Parliament they really have no power on whether bills and laws are passed, and so whether a bill is passed is on each individual MP when they vote Yes or No on the bill. Thats how Canadian Law works
TheRimDoctor 3 months ago
Steven Harper? XD
kaji923 5 months ago
this is why i love rick mercer. he makes it funny yet informative
13Fayt13 5 months ago 65
Lol I likes this
Imroth94 9 months ago
Comment removed
pigpushers 9 months ago
@pigpushers what did you say to get your comment removed?
MrCle2009 8 months ago
@Imroth94 Do ya now?
pigpushers 9 months ago