Government of Ontario

The Government of Ontario (French: Gouvernement de l'Ontario), formally Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario (French: Sa Majesté la Reine du chef de l’Ontario),[1] is the provincial government of the Province of Ontario, in Canada. Its powers and structure are partly set out in the Constitution Act, 1982.

Her Majesty's Government of Ontario

Coat of arms of Ontario
Wordmark
Formation1867
CountryCanada
Websiteontario.ca
Legislative branch
LegislatureLegislative Assembly
Meeting placeLegislative Building
Executive branch
Main bodyExecutive Council
Head of GovernmentPremier
Viceregal RepresentativeLieutenant Governor
Meeting placeWhitney Block
Judicial branch
CourtCourt of Appeal for Ontario
SeatToronto
Ontario
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Ontario
See also
Politics by province / territory

The government includes the cabinet (formally the Executive Council of Ontario) of the day, selected from members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and the non-political civil service staff within each provincial department or agency. The civil service that manages and delivers government policies, programs, and services is called the Ontario Public Service.

The Province of Ontario is governed by a unicameral legislature, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, which operates in the Westminster system of government. The province's head of government, known as the Premier of Ontario, is appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. The Premier, invariably the leader of a political party represented in the Legislative Assembly, selects members of the Cabinet, who are also appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. The Premier and Cabinet, who are responsible for the overall direction and functioning of the government, are entitled to remain in office so long as it maintains the confidence of the elected Legislative Assembly. The Premier has usually been the leader of the party holding the largest number of seats in the Legislative Assembly, but this is not a constitutional requirement.

The 26th and current Premier of Ontario is Doug Ford of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party after the PCs won a majority of seats in 2018.

Owing to the location of the Ontario Legislative Building on the grounds of Queen's Park, the Ontario government is frequently referred to by the metonym "Queen's Park".[2]

Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario
Further information: Monarchy in Ontario

The functions of the Sovereign, Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, and known in Ontario as the Queen in Right of Ontario, are exercised by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. The Lieutenant Governor is appointed by the Governor General of Canada on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Canada.

Executive powers
Whitney Block house's the offices of the Premier of Ontario and other members of Cabinet.

The executive powers in the province lie with the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, but these are exercised almost always on the advice of the Premier of Ontario and the rest of the Executive Council of Ontario (Cabinet).

Ministries
The Ontario Government Buildings, in downtown Toronto, contain the head offices of several provincial ministries.

Crown corporations
Further information: Crown corporations of Canada § Ontario

Legislative powers
The Ontario Legislative Building is the seat of the Legislative Assembly.

The legislative powers in the province lie with the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The premier and other ministers in the Cabinet are also members of, and responsible to, the Legislative Assembly.

Budget

For the 2013-2014 fiscal year, the Ontario government planned to spend C$127,600,000,000, including a deficit of C$11,700,000,000.[3]

Debt

As of March 31, 2014, the total Ontario debt stood at $295.80 billion.[4]

Awards and recognition

The Ontario Public Service was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers" by Maclean's newsmagazine in 2009, and again in 2010. The Ontario Public Service was also named one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers by the Toronto Star in 2009, and was named one of "Canada's Best Diversity Employers" in 2009 by Bank of Montreal[5]

See also

References
  1. "Order in Council 1681/2016". Government of Ontario. 2017-01-03. PURSUANT TO the prerogative of Her Majesty The Queen in Right of Ontario to appoint advisors to serve Her Majesty's Government of Ontario in the discharge of its executive obligations and responsibilities...
  2. "Legacy of a People's Park". Education Portal. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  3. "2013 Ontario Budget" (PDF). www.ofina.on.ca. Ontario Financing Authority. 3 May 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  4. "Ontario 2014 Budget" (PDF). www.ofina.on.ca. Ontario Financing Authority. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  5. "Reasons for Selection, 2009 Canada's Top 100 Employers and 2009 Canada's Best Diversity Employers Competitions".
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