Government of Ontario

The Government of Ontario (French: Gouvernement de l'Ontario), or more formally Her Majesty's Government of Ontario, is the provincial government of the province of Ontario, Canada. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867.

Contents

• Awards and recognition
• Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
• Executive powers
• Legislative powers
• Budget
• Debt
• References

In modern Canadian use the term "government" refers broadly to the cabinet (formally the Executive Council of Ontario) of the day, selected from members the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and to 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.

Due 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".