United Airline From Hong Kong, joined Jan 2001, 8792 posts, RR: 17 Posted (3 years 6 months 3 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 1350 times:
I know Canada, Australia and New Zealand are independent countries but theoretically are they still part of the British Empire? Or are they colonies of the British Empire? I know the Queen is the figure head
What about places like Falkland Islands etc? And commonwealth countries like Malaysia, Singapore, India etc>
I know they all have governor generals and the queen has the power to sack PMs and dissolve lower/upper houses.
Not all (if not most of them) are still Monarchies to the Queen and have become independent republics such as India and South Africa. Also I know there is Republic movements in Australia and I have heard of it in Canada as well to a lesser extent.
Quoting United Airline (Thread starter): What about places like Falkland Islands etc? And commonwealth countries like Malaysia, Singapore, India etc>
They are all in it with the exception of the Falklands.
Bill142 From Australia, joined Aug 2004, 8320 posts, RR: 9 Reply 3, posted (3 years 6 months 3 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 1338 times:
Quoting United Airline (Thread starter): I know they all have governor generals and the queen has the power to sack PMs and dissolve lower/upper houses.
Not true. You do not have to have the Queen as your head of state to be part of the Commonwealth.
Australia was once a British Colony but we were given independence in 1901 when all the states federated, but it was not until 1986 that all legislative ties were cut.
Australia will, no doubt, one day become a republic with it's own head of state. I would expect that we would remain part of the Commonwealth.
United Airline From Hong Kong, joined Jan 2001, 8792 posts, RR: 17 Reply 5, posted (3 years 6 months 3 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 1321 times:
So is the Queen still the head of Australia/New Zealand/Canada? Does the PM report to the governor general?
Theoretically the queen has the power to dissolve paliaments and to sack PMs of Australia/New Zealand/Canada right?
But not to countries like Singapore, Malaysia I suppose?
Quoting StarAC17 (Reply 2): They are all in it with the exception of the Falklands.
Quoting Bill142 (Reply 3): Australia will, no doubt, one day become a republic with it's own head of state. I would expect that we would remain part of the Commonwealth.
Only time will tell. A lot of people don't seem to want to change
Quoting AF340 (Reply 1): Elizabeth II is the Queen of England, but also Queen of Canada, Queen of Australia, and Queen of New Zealand (among others)
ScrubbsYWG From Canada, joined Mar 2007, 1486 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (3 years 6 months 3 weeks 14 hours ago) and read 1296 times:
Quoting United Airline (Reply 5): So is the Queen still the head of Australia/New Zealand/Canada? Does the PM report to the governor general?
Theoretically the queen has the power to dissolve paliaments and to sack PMs of Australia/New Zealand/Canada right?
For canada:
Technically the queen is the head of state. Although, recently, our governer general has been saying in speeches that she is the 'head of state'. It even went so far as for the prime minister's office to send the GG a letter saying that she is not the head of state of canada.
I guess theoretically the queen has the power to dissolve parliament, although that will never ever happen. I believe QE2 has explicitly said she does not want to get involved in Canada's politics. However, i do not think she has the power to sack PM's Our PM is merely the leader of the party with the most seats in Parliament. I don't think she can say 'stephen harper you are no longer PM'. She can dissolve parliament and cause an election, or ask a coalition to govern, but she can't say someone can't be PM anymore, at least i dont think so.
Regardless of all this, the Queen will never ever do anything of the sort for canada and i am sure any of the other nations where she has a GG.
I don't think you can really say the PM reports to the GG. What is going to report to her? The only time she really comes into play is when there is a no-confidence vote or a looming one. Otherwise, i dont think he has anything to 'report' to her. When there is a vote, or a looming vote there are a bunch of things that can happen. She can meet with the PM and discuss to see if she still believes his party can govern. Alternatively, as Canada saw last year when a looming no confidence vote was apparent, he actually requested the GG prorogue parliament to delay the vote, which she did. It was somewhat a controversial decision since it was a rarely used mechanism, and as far as i remember never used for that purpose.
Cpd From Australia, joined Jun 2008, 4879 posts, RR: 44 Reply 8, posted (3 years 6 months 3 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 1292 times:
Quoting United Airline (Reply 5): Theoretically the queen has the power to dissolve paliaments and to sack PMs of Australia/New Zealand/Canada right?
The GG does in a round-about sort of way. But Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, doesn't normally do that.
Quoting ScrubbsYWG (Reply 7): he actually requested the GG prorogue parliament to delay the vote
Never thought I'd see that term 'prorogue' used anywhere outside of parliamentary or government circles. Here, prorogations not related to elections are quite unusual.
Cpd From Australia, joined Jun 2008, 4879 posts, RR: 44 Reply 10, posted (3 years 6 months 3 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 1265 times:
Quoting United Airline (Reply 9): Theoretically the governor general is more senior than the prime minister and he has the right to dissolve paliament and sack the PM right?
I would suggest you look at the following example:
ScrubbsYWG From Canada, joined Mar 2007, 1486 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (3 years 6 months 3 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 1262 times:
Quoting United Airline (Reply 9): Theoretically the governor general is more senior than the prime minister and he has the right to dissolve paliament and sack the PM right?
senior in the sense that yes, they can dissolve parliament. But useless in the way they have no role in day to day governing of the country, like introducing bills, voting on laws, etc. 99% of the time it is a ceremonial position with no apparent power. However, they really come into the fore with minority governments like canada has had lately. 'sacking the PM' is an odd, and i think over reaching term for what they would do. IF the GG were to dissolve parliament, it wouldnt be 'sacking' the PM. The reason they would do that was because the party, or coalition, in power has lost the confidence of the house and the GG believes they can no longer govern. If push came to shove and there was a real scandal implicating the PM(and not necessarily the party) the GG likely wouldn't sack the PM, but the PM would resign and a new leader of that party would be chosen who would then become PM.
However, you must get by the theoretical of all this. While there are many options available to the GG, they are pretty much at the mercy of others. One GG does not decide on a whim to dissolve parliament. When the GG prorogued parliament last year in canada, it was PM Harper that went to her to ask for it. Often, the GG is requested to do things. rarely, if ever, do GGs act on their own. a GG action like dissolving parliament is usually preceded by a non-confidence vote or a request by the PM.
Quoting Cpd (Reply 8): Never thought I'd see that term 'prorogue' used anywhere outside of parliamentary or government circles. Here, prorogations not related to elections are quite unusual.
Believe me, i had never heard the term before in my life. It was a bit of a concern what was going to happen last year when the parties here were threatening a non-confidence vote and what Harper's options were. When he came out of Rideau Hall saying he requested the GG prorogue parliament i think a lot(if not most) canadians kind of said, 'what?'
Anyways, i would LOVE to link a video by the daily show where they did a story on our little constitutional crises last year, but the comedy channel really keeps tabs on what countries can see which videos. IF you want to see what they did, and kind of show how confusing parliamentary politics can be, search for 'provinces in peril' by the daily show. it is a pretty good clip.
Cpd From Australia, joined Jun 2008, 4879 posts, RR: 44 Reply 13, posted (3 years 6 months 3 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 1202 times:
Quoting United Airline (Reply 12): Does the GG get paid? Full time? Higher than the PM even?
The GG's pay at the moment is AUD$394,000 per year.
The PM's salary is around AUD$330,300 as of 2007, or about the same as a NSW government department director general will make.
The NSW public service pay levels are generally fixed to certain grade levels, which have a range of pay. You generally start at the lower level, and progress to the top level after a certain period of service. If you want to get a higher pay than that level, you apply for a higher graded position, if one is available.
SeansasLCY From Hong Kong, joined Mar 2007, 717 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (3 years 6 months 3 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 1181 times:
You don't need to have the Queen as head of state to be in the commonwealth. Countries like Singapore and Malaysia don't have Queen Elizabeth 2nd as head of state but are still members.
Queen Elizabeth 2nd does remain Queen of the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Barbados, Bahamas, Tuvalu, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, St. Lucia, Belize, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Kitts and St. Nevis and Antigua & Barbuda.
The Falkland Islands are one of 14 British overseas territories. These are controlled by Britain but have control of most of their own affairs. These include Gibraltar, Caymen Islands and Bermuda.
StarAC17 From Canada, joined Aug 2003, 3211 posts, RR: 9 Reply 15, posted (3 years 6 months 3 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 1168 times:
Quoting United Airline (Reply 5): So is the Queen still the head of Australia/New Zealand/Canada? Does the PM report to the governor general?
As far as I know the GG is the representative of the Queen in tha specific country and he/she can determine things like when an election that is called is legitimate. In Canada our GG last year made the call to let Stephen Harper shut parliament down to delay the formation of a coalition government.
Quoting SeansasLCY (Reply 14): Queen Elizabeth 2nd does remain Queen of the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Barbados, Bahamas, Tuvalu, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, St. Lucia, Belize, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Kitts and St. Nevis and Antigua & Barbuda.
Usually the Prime Minister or the opposition leaders only report to the GG when the current session of parliament needs to be suspended or dissolved. Theoretically speaking, there are other times when the Prime Minister may need to consult the GG, but it's never happened.
Quoting United Airline (Reply 5): Theoretically the queen has the power to dissolve paliaments and to sack PMs of Australia/New Zealand/Canada right?
Parliament can be suspended or dissolved at the GG's discretion. The GG also holds the power to appoint and remove senators from the Upper House.
Quoting ScrubbsYWG (Reply 7): Technically the queen is the head of state. Although, recently, our governer general has been saying in speeches that she is the 'head of state'. It even went so far as for the prime minister's office to send the GG a letter saying that she is not the head of state of canada.
It was minor misunderstanding that the media tried to overplay. She meant she was the "head of state" by means of extension.
Quoting ScrubbsYWG (Reply 11): like introducing bills, voting on laws, etc.
The GG must give royal accent to any bills coming into law, though none have vetoed any bills.
No matter how random things may appear, there's always a plan.
ScrubbsYWG From Canada, joined Mar 2007, 1486 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 1108 times:
Quoting TheCol (Reply 16): The GG must give royal accent to any bills coming into law, though none have vetoed any bills.
Yeah i left it specifically out. she has to give the queens blessing to laws, and technically has the power to not do it, but that, like most of the GG's duties, is ceremonial. I cannot not imagine her ever vetoeing anything.
Quoting TheCol (Reply 16): The GG also holds the power to appoint and remove senators from the Upper House.
maybe she should do that in Canada. our canadian senate is a joke.
Zkpilot From New Zealand, joined Mar 2006, 4739 posts, RR: 10 Reply 18, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1100 times:
Quoting United Airline (Reply 5): So is the Queen still the head of Australia/New Zealand/Canada? Does the PM report to the governor general?
Theoretically the queen has the power to dissolve paliaments and to sack PMs of Australia/New Zealand/Canada right?
But not to countries like Singapore, Malaysia I suppose?
Yes the Queen is Head of State for Aus/NZL/Can. Her representitive is the Governor General who acts on her behalf. The Prime minister reports to the Governor General. Neither the Queen nor the Governor General have any actual powers with the exception of forming/dissolving parliament, agreeing to the appointment of ministers and the formation of the government. ie the Queen can't say we're going to war so Aus/NZL/Can must go to war also (not that the Queen decides that in Britain either). However in most wars theres been a saying about Britain: "Where she goes, we go. Where she stands, we stand." This has not been used as such of late however as the Iraq war showed.
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