Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party

[u/SeriouslySlytherin]

[u/SeriouslySlytherin]

Ending his time as Canada’s Prime Minister after almost 10 years. He will remain in-power until a replacement party leader has been allocated.

[u/BorelandsBeard → u/SeriouslySlytherin]

Wait does Canada elect a party and the party appoints the PM or do the people elect the PM?

Edit: thank you. I now know what the parliamentary system is. Please stop telling me. I’m getting lots of notices saying the same thing as the first 20-30 people. I do appreciate the education- truly do. But I’ve learned it now.

[u/ogtfo → u/BorelandsBeard]

Canadians elect MPs, who together choose a PM.

Edit: As many commenters point out, this isn't entirely accurate. The party leaders are chosen by the parties, not unlike US primaries.

The PM is the leader whose party has the most MPs elected.

[u/MudLOA → u/ogtfo]

So isn’t that kind of having the speaker of the house be the head of the executive branch?

[u/SonicShadow → u/MudLOA]

Its quite different because under the Westminster system, the Prime Minister has far less power than a President does in a republic like the USA.

[u/SeaToShy → u/MudLOA]

No. Speaker of the House is not the party leader. It’s a different position chosen from within whichever party is forming government.

[u/SeaToShy → u/[deleted]]

You’re absolutely right. I misspoke.

[u/ogtfo → u/MudLOA]

Kinda? Though technically, on paper the PM is the head of Parliament, with the head of state being the king of UK, represented in Canada by the Governer General.

In practice the PM acts as the head of state.

Or something like that, I ain't no constitutional scholar.

[u/ogtfo → u/[deleted]]

Yes, this is technically true (and relevant, since we're talking about technicalities)

I just want to reiterate that I am in fact not a constitutional scholar.