User:Dphilp75/Differences between the powers of Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth

Differences between the powers of Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth
The Commonwealth Realms largely operate on a similar practice known as a Westminster System/Style Government, but one can find both subtle and large differences in how the individual governments operate. Differences in the power of Backbenchers and Committees can vary greatly between the various governments, as can the power of the Prime Minister him or herself.

Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada has considerable power in comparison to his Commonwealth Counterparts. The consolidation of the Prime Minister's Office or PMO maintains a strong hold over its Caucus and to a large degree, the Party itself.

The Canadian House of Commons holds a mere 308 seats as opposed to The United Kingdom's 646 seats. Thus, any Member of Parliament in Canada may reasonably be expected to one day sit in Cabinet. This means that Party members are much more inclined to follow the doctrine set out by the Party Leadership. This holds true regardless if the party is in power or not, as opposition MP's wish to maintain a "good reputation" within the Caucus and Party.

Party Discipline with in the Political Parties of Canada also tends to be much tighter than in many other Commonwealth Realms. An MP who votes against the party or publicly disagrees with the party may find themselves in danger of not being approved by their party to run for their own seat in the next election. Should this happen to a member, he or she must either step aside or attempt to run as an independent candidate, by which they lose out on the party machinery and funds.