How bureaucracy works in Canada
Despite the well-known Canadian transparency in all spheres of life, the complex bureaucratic system was not spared here either.
The Canadian bureaucratic system is the side of government that employs employees rather than elected politicians. This system is made up of a huge number of departments, agencies, commissions, committees, boards and corporations. More Canadians work for the federal government than for any other employer in the country. It is estimated that the total number of government employees in Canada is somewhere around 250,000.
Executive departments and deputy ministers
At the top of Canada's bureaucratic pyramid are cabinet (government) departments, sometimes called "ministries" because they are run by ministers. Each department specialises in different areas of responsibility, such as finance, foreign policy, immigration or international trade. There are currently about 30 departments (ministries), although the number tends to decrease and increase as it is very easy under Canadian law to create new departments or reorganize those that already exist.
The cabinet members are all sitting members of parliament, chosen by the prime minister to assist him in running the country. In theory, they are the politicians best qualified for the job, but in reality the type of people the Prime Minister chooses are usually determined more on the basis of who he personally trusts or to ensure diversity in gender, race and other characteristics in public service.
Departments also employ deputy ministers. They hold positions independent of the ministers and are professional bureaucrats selected for their knowledge and experience. Theoretically, the deputy minister's job is to make sure that the rest of the bureaucrats under him carry out the "vision" of the minister and the ruling party. When the minister and the deputy get along, they are capable of many things. But, of course, in practice there is often a lot of contradiction between what a political minister wants and what the bureaucracy thinks is possible or wise. While this can lead to many problems, it is also seen as one of the key checks and balances to tame and control the powers of the Canadian government.
List of all government departments and agencies
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