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The King-Byng Affair was a constitutional crisis that happened in 1926. It pitted the powers of a prime minister against the powers of a governor general. It began when Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King asked Governor General Lord Julian Byng to dissolve Parliament and call a new election. Byng refused. It ended with King winning another election. Since then, no governor general has publicly refused the advice of a prime minister.

This article is a plain-language summary of the King-Byng Affair. If you are interested in reading about this topic in more depth, please see our full-length entry: King-Byng Affair.

Under Canada’s constitutional monarchy, the sovereign is head of state, the legal foundation of the executive branch of government and one part of Parliament — along with the Senate and House of Commons. The current sovereign of Canada is King Charles III. The sovereign is represented in Canada by the governor general, lieutenant-governors and territorial commissioners and acts on the advice of the prime minister, the head of government.

A member of Parliament (MP) is a person who is elected to represent a single federal electoral district (or “riding”) in the House of Commons. As elected representatives, MPs have three main duties: legislating in Parliament, representing their riding and political party, and serving their constituents. MPs occupy different roles and levels of influence. They hold office until Parliament is dissolved — typically four-year terms — and can be re-elected any number of times. Any Canadian citizen who is at least 18 years old on election day can run for office. Most MPs are elected as a member of a political party. Some campaign and sit as independents. There are currently 338 seats for MPs in the House of Commons.

A member of Parliament (MP) is elected to represent a single district, or “riding,” in the House of Commons. MPs have three main duties: passing laws and crafting policies in Parliament, representing their riding and political party, and serving the people in their riding. MPs have different roles and levels of influence. They can be backbenchers, Cabinet ministers, opposition critics or the prime minister. They typically serve four-year terms. They hold office until Parliament is dissolved. They have no term limits and can be re-elected any number of times. The number of MPs changes every 10 years. There are currently 338 MPs.

This article is a plain-language summary of member of Parliament (MP). If you are interested in reading about this topic in more depth, please see our full-length entry: Member of Parliament (MP).

The province of Manitoba has a majority Progressive Conservative government, formed on 10 September 2019. The premier of the province is Heather Stefanson and the lieutenant-governor is Anita R. Neville. Manitoba joined Confederation in 1870 and its legislature met for the first time the following year.

The province of Alberta has a majority United Conservative Party government, formed on 16 April 2019. The premier of the province is Danielle Smith and the lieutenant-governor is Salma Lakhani. Its first premier, Alexander C. Rutherford, was elected in 1905, after the province joined Confederation. Historically, Alberta provincial politics have been characterized by governing parties commanding huge majorities in the legislature, remaining in power for lengthy periods and then being decisively beaten by a new political force.