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experience, whose members are genuinely and actively concerned with the
promotion of national welfare.
The House of Commons is a selective body. It does not actually pick the
Cabinet, although the fact that the Cabinet, chosen by the Prime Minister,
must always be able to retain the support of a majority of the House, may be
considered as giving the chamber a power of choice. It is somewhat more
correct to say that the House selects the Prime Minister. In any case the
Commons must give its seal of approval after the choice has been made.
The Cabinet keeps in constant touch with the House of Commons and is
therefore never far removed from the fluctuations in public opinion because
the House, in its role of interpreter, forces this opinion on the attention
of its leaders. “Phe House gives guidance, encouragement and criticism, as
well as the presentation and interchange of views. This makes possible
a more exact appreciation of the nature of the popular response to Govern-
ment policies and enables the Cabinet to proceed with far more assurance and
certainty.
More than a mere mouthpiece to repeat and advertise the views of the
various constituencies, the House of Commons also discusses questions on
which the voters have as yet no certain convictions or on which they may
need further information and guidance. The House will talk, argue, inves-
tigate, oppose, decide, and frequently postpone action on many matters. In
so doing it arouses interest and helps to create a more enlightened opinion
throughout the country.
Under the guidance of the Cabinet and with the co-operation of the Senate,
the House of Commons also sets its formal seal of approval upon legislation
and matters of state policy. Here the Senate takes a decidedly subordinate
part, and it is not likely to set itself in serious opposition to the Commons.
These decisions of legislative chambers assume various forms: (1) statutes;
(2) the imposition of taxes and the authorization of expenditures; (3) reso-
lutions, such as those requesting the British Parliament to amend the British
North America Act; and (4) formal declarations of state policy which the
executive will certainly carry into effect, such as those dealing with treaties,
the declaration of war, and others.
A vital aspect of the critical function of the House of Commons is its power
of general supervision. This takes many forms. The House asks the
Cabinet ministers interminable questions; it conducts investigations into the
administration of departments; it draws out the activities of the Government
into the light of publicity; it scrutinizes the financial statements and proposed
taxes and expenditures; it checks to a limited degree departmental orders and
orders-in-council; it listens to ministerial statements on Government policy;
it receives petitions for redress of grievances.
Many of these matters are, of course, related to Cabinet functions, but the
responsibility of the Cabinet to the House of Commons is always both present
and active. In this way, Canadians govern themselves.
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