How a caretaker government functions in the middle of a trade war

Peter Zimonjic · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 3:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

If there's 1 happening the erstwhile caput of Canada's nationalist work wants Canadians to cognize close now, it's that their state inactive has a government.

"We ever person a government. Whether during prorogation, during dissolution, there's ever a functional authorities with its powers and its duties and obligations," Michael Wernick said.

Wernick is the erstwhile clerk of the Privy Council — a presumption that includes heading up the nationalist service, acting arsenic the premier minister's lawman arsenic good arsenic serving arsenic caput to the national cabinet.

When Parliament is dissolved, the authorities itself is not shut down. Wernick says it tin still respond to the economical chaos being unleashed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

"What changes during the predetermination play is this normal of [the government] utilizing its powers with restraint. But determination is simply a authorities there, it has a wide instrumentality kit and determination are radical going to enactment each time supporting the national authorities some federally and provincially," helium said. 

The normal Wernick mentioned is simply a notation to the "caretaker normal period," that begins erstwhile Parliament has been dissolved and lone ends erstwhile a caller authorities is sworn successful oregon an incumbent authorities is re-elected. 

In the Westminster parliamentary strategy utilized successful Canada, the legitimacy of an elected authorities hinges connected its quality to bid the assurance of the House of Commons. During an predetermination period, the House is unopen and truthful the premier curate cannot question support from the elected chamber. 

Because of that, the premier curate and furniture are directed by the normal to enactment with restraint, which means they shouldn't present big, caller things oregon marque changes that would beryllium onerous for the adjacent authorities to rotation back. 

Governing with 'restraint'

This does not mean that the authorities is prevented from making decisions. Prime Minister Mark Carney inactive has the work of ensuring the regular cognition of the authorities continues and indispensable besides beryllium capable to respond to emergencies specified arsenic earthy disasters, wars oregon economical crises. 

Wernick says that deciding what indispensable beryllium done — and what should not beryllium done — comes down to the judgement of the premier curate guided by tradition, specified arsenic ensuring authorities actions show respect for the antiauthoritarian volition of Canadians.

"There's nary regularisation publication to spell to that would archer you precisely wherever that threshold is," Wernick said. 

When it comes to responding to tariffs being imposed connected Canada by the Trump administration, the premier curate and his furniture person the powerfulness and authorization they request to respond with retaliatory tariffs oregon assistance for workers.

Watch l Michael Wernick connected the caretaker convention: 

"The lone happening truly not disposable to the authorities would beryllium to spell to Parliament and walk a caller law," Wernick told CBC's Power & Politics host David Cochrane past week. 

That means ministers tin transportation connected with their authoritative duties but they should "not enactment independently connected an inaugural that requires furniture oregon Treasury Board approval," according to the caretaker guidelines. 

Government departments are besides not expected to motorboat caller regulatory initiatives, and erstwhile imaginable should defer the implementation of initiatives during an predetermination play due to the fact that ministers whitethorn person constricted capableness to respond, should issues arise.

There are besides immoderate guidelines for however authorities advertizing and communicating takes place. The cardinal rule is that each connection should beryllium non-partisan, and beryllium constricted to messages astir nationalist health, information oregon urgent business. 

Public sentiment probe is expected to beryllium shelved during the predetermination play and nary authorities contracts should beryllium issued for speechwriting either.

While furniture ministers clasp their powers and responsibilities, parliamentary secretaries' appointments extremity arsenic soon arsenic Parliament is dissolved. 

"In the expansive strategy of things, 5 weeks is not a agelong play to beryllium managing this," Wernick said.