The politics of Ontario functions within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. As a province within federation, Ontario's eligible voters elect their representatives to the federal government and to the provincial government separately. The two governments exercise authorities in different subject areas as assigned by the Constitution Act, 1867. On matters that are within provincial justification, the Government of Ontario exercises its authorities independently and is not subject to restrain by the federal government.
As former colonies of the United Kingdom, the politics of Ontario and the politics of Canada both operate with a multi-party system in which many of its legislative practices derive from the unwritten conventions of and precedents from the Westminster system of the parliament of the United Kingdom. While the monarch is the ceremonial head for both Canada and Ontario, in practice executive power is exercised by the respective cabinets that are accountable to their respective parliaments, the House of Commons of Canada and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, frequently referred to by its colloquial name, Queen's Park.
The political party that wins the largest number of seats in the Ontario legislature normally forms the government, and the party's leader becomes premier of the province, i.e., the head of the government. Four political parties currently have representation in the Queen's Park:
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC) Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) Ontario Liberal Party Green Party of Ontario
While they are legally separate and distinct from their federal namesake, all four provincial parties have deep ties and collaborate extensively with their federal counterparts, (and in the case of the NDP, formal connection and structural overlap) with few crossover of provincial and federal party memberships. While only two dominant political parties, the Liberals and the Conservatives, have formed governments at the federal level, their alternation in Ontario government has been interrupted in Ontario in two occasions, once between 1919 and 1923 by the United Farmers, and more recently between 1990 and 1995 by the New Democrats.
The Crown of the United Kingdom is also the King of Canada. As a Commonwealth realm, the Canadian monarch is shared with 14 other independent countries known as Commonwealth realms (not to be confused with the 56 members states of the Commonwealth of Nations). Within Canada, the monarch exercises power separately on behalf of the federal government, and each of the 10 provinces.
In Ontario. the powers of the Crown are vested in the monarch in right of Ontario and are exercised by the lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor is appointed by the governor general of Canada, on the advice of the prime minister of Canada. However, the advice of the premier and Executive Council, consisting of members of the provincial cabinet, is typically binding on the lieutenant governor. The Constitution Act, 1867 requires executive power to be exercised only "by and with the Advice of the Executive Council". Therefore, the lieutenant governor acts on the advice of the premier and the cabinet in exercising the royal prerogative and granting royal assent. While the advice of the premier and Executive Council is typically binding on the lieutenant governor, the lieutenant governor may refuse to act on the advice if the premier does not clearly command the confidence of the elected Legislative Assembly. This however has not happened in Ontario.
Legislative power The unicameral 124-member Legislative Assembly of Ontario (), and the Crown-in-Parliament (represented by the lieutenant governor) comprise the Provincial Parliament of Ontario. As government power is vested in the Crown, the role of the lieutenant governor is to grant royal assent on behalf of the monarch to legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly. The Crown does not participate in the legislative process save for signifying approval to a bill passed by the Assembly.
Membership Officeholders, known as members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) are elected using the first-past-the-post system.
Government The legislature plays a role in the election of governments, as the premier and Cabinet hold office by virtue of commanding the body's confidence. Per the tenets of responsible government, Cabinet ministers are almost always elected MPPs, and account to the Legislative Assembly.
Opposition The second largest party of parliamentary caucus is known as the Official Opposition, who typically appoint MPPs as critics to shadow ministers, and scrutinize the work of the government.
The Official Opposition is formally termed Majesty's Loyal Opposition, to signify that, though they may be opposed to the premier and Cabinet of the day's policies, they remain loyal to Canada, which is personified and represented by the .
Executive power The executive power is vested in the Crown and exercised "in-Council", meaning on the advice of the Executive Council; conventionally, this is the Cabinet, which is chaired by the premier and comprises ministers of the Crown.
The term Government of Ontario, or more formally, Majesty's Government refers to the activities of the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council. The day-to-day operation and activities of the Government of Ontario are performed by the provincial departments and agencies, staffed by the non-partisan Ontario Public Service and directed by the elected government.
The premier of Ontario is the first minister of the Crown. The premier acts as the head of government for the province, chairs and selects the membership of the Cabinet, and advises the Crown on the exercise of executive power and much of the royal prerogative. As premiers hold office by virtue of their ability to command the confidence of the elected Legislative Assembly, they typically sit as a MPP and lead the largest party or a coalition in the Assembly. Once sworn in, the premier holds office until their resignation or removal by the lieutenant governor after either a motion of no confidence or defeat in a general election.
Judicial power
+Courts in OntarioCourtTypeComposition methodNotesCourt of Appeal for OntarioAppellate courtSelected federallyAppeals to the Supreme Court of CanadaCourt of Ontario Ontario Superior Court of Justice
Ontario Court of JusticeTrial court Superior court
Court of recordSelected federally (Superior Court of Justice) Selected provincially (Court of Justice)The Court of Ontario comprises the Superior Court of Justice and the Court of JusticeProvincial boards, commissions and tribunalsTribunalSelected provinciallyFor example: Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, or Social Justice Tribunals Ontario (SJTO), which comprises eight bodies including the Landlord and Tenant Board, Child and Family Services Review Board, and others
Political history
Liberal hegemony before 1905 + Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (1867–1902) - seats won by partyGovernmentConservativeLiberal Party 1867 1871 1875 1879 1883 1886 1890 1894 1898 1902Liberal 41 43 50 57 48 57 53 45 5150Liberal-Equal Rights 2 Liberal-Patron 12 Liberal-P.P.A. 1 Conservative 41 38 34 29 37 32 34 23 4248Liberal-Conservative 1 Conservative-Equal Rights 2 Conservative-P.P.A. 6 Conservative-Patron 1 Patrons of Industry 3 Protestant Protective Association 2 Conservative - Liberal 1 Conservative - Independent 2 2 1Liberal - Independent 1 2 Independent 1 1 1 Total 82 82 88 88 88 9091 94 9498
After the Province's indecisive first election in 1867, in which the Conservative John Sandfield Macdonald became the first Premier of Ontario, the Liberals under Edward Blake gained power in 1871 which they would hold until 1905. Blake left for federal politics in 1872, and Oliver Mowat would then serve as Premier until 1896.
Secure in its predominance in the rural parts of Southwestern Ontario, the Liberals also received support through their friendship with the Roman Catholic hierarchy, their use of patronage for political ends, and their dealings with the liquor trade. Mowat's success was buttressed by Arthur Sturgis Hardy's activity as a hard-nosed and down-to-earth politician in his service, as noted by Grip:
Acting as his own Attorney General, Mowat successfully promoted the cause of provincial sovereignty before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, winning key controversies over Provincial boundaries, jurisdiction over liquor licenses, trade and commerce, rivers and streams, timber, escheats and other matters.
Mowat was cautious in his approach to reform, preferring to do so by instalments. As George William Ross observed later, it reflected Mowat's cunning:
The agrarian revolt and anti-Catholic sentiment in 1894, exemplified by the rise of the Patrons of Industry and the Protestant Protective Association, was deftly handled by the Liberals and Conservatives declining to nominate a full bank of candidates in that election and fielding candidates that were nominated by these protest groups. The Patrons and PPA ceased to exist by 1898.
After Mowat left for federal politics in 1896, the premiership was passed to Hardy, who promoted the development of New Ontario with measures for colonization and incentives for the development of lumber and mining operations. He was followed by Ross in 1899, but a series of scandals in Ross' term of office would lead to his defeat in 1905.
Early 20th century, 1905-1943 + Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (1905–1937) - seats won by partyGovernmentConservativeUFO-LabourConservativeLiberal Party 1905 1908 1911 1914 1919 1923 1926 1929 1934 1937Conservative 69 86 82 84 25 75 72 90 1723Liberal-Conservative 1 Liberal 28 19 22 24 27 14 14 13 6563Liberal-Temperance 1 Liberal-Prohibitionist 1 United Farmers of Ontario 44 17 3 1 11Progressive 10 4 Liberal-Progressive 4 1 42Labour 1 1 1 11 4 1 1 1Co-operative Commonwealth Federation 1Liberal-United Farmers 1 Labour-United Farmers 1 Soldier 1 Liberal Independent 1 1 1 4 Conservative Independent 2 2 Progressive Independent 1 Independent 1 1Total 98 106 106 111 111 111 112 112 9090
Through reforming the Conservatives by establishing the Ontario Liberal-Conservative Association, reaching out to Catholics, and distancing the party from its federal counterpart, James Pliny Whitney was able to win the election of 1905. In that campaign, he stressed the necessity of public ownership of electrical development, saying, "The water power of Niagara should be as free as the air." In office, he worked to promote Ontario's industrial development through the creation of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario, and also promoted social welfare through the passage of the first workmen's compensation law. He also maintained the party's support from the Orange Order by suppressing French-language instruction in schools through the issue of Regulation 17. He continued as Premier until his death in 1914. William Howard Hearst then took over as Premier, and served until his defeat in 1919.
The era was known for aggressive exploitation of the Province's natural resources. In 1919, Howard Ferguson (then Minister of Lands and Forests) declared, "My ambition has been to see the largest paper industry in the world established in the Province, and my attitude towards the pulp and paper industry has been directed towards assisting in bringing this about."
The rise of activism amongst farmers and workers following World War I resulted in the United Farmers of Ontario - Labour coalition government headed by E.C. Drury, which was in power from 1919 to 1923. The Conservatives then returned, and would retain control until the onset of the Great Depression, at which time the Liberals returned under Mitchell Hepburn, who would pursue aggressive policies in promoting Ontario's interests until 1943.