Fundamental Terms

If you mean "Parliament," don’t say "government"

The words “government” and “Parliament” are often used interchangeably, although
they are not equivalent terms. What is the difference?

Parliament

1. The term “Parliament” encompasses the legislative branch of government, and

includes:
The Sovereign (represented by the Governor General)
All members of the Senate
All members of the House of Commons
2. All legislation introduced by the government or by private members must be
passed by a majority of the members of the House of Commons and the
Senate and receive Royal Assent from the Governor General. Therefore, it is
correct to say “Parliament has just passed a bill.”
3. The term “Parliament” also refers to the period of time during which the institution
of Parliament exercises its powers, which under the Constitution can be up to 5
years. These periods are consecutively numbered (for example, the 38th
Parliament).

Government

1. In a broad sense, the term “government” refers to the political authority of the
state, which includes executive, legislative and judicial powers. In this broad
sense the term “government” can be used in reference to a system of
governance. For example, Canada's system of government can be described
as a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy.
2. The term “government” is also used to refer to the executive branch, essentially
the Prime Minister and Cabinet, who have been formally appointed by the
Governor General to administer or “govern” the country.In this context, the
“government” (executive) determines priorities and policies, ensures their
implementation, and presents government legislation to Parliament for
approval.
This definition of government also includes federal departments, which assist in
developing, implementing and administering government policy.

Responsible Government

The government (in this case the executive branch) must be accountable to the
legislative branch. If it loses the confidence of the House of Commons, the
government is expected to resign.