Governor-General of Canada

The Governor-General of Canada (Gouverneur-Général du Canada; ), officially the “Governor-General and Prime Minister of the United Commonwealths of Canada” (Gouverneur général et Premier ministre du Canada; ), is the head of state and government of the United Commonwealths of Canada. Appointed to office by the Federation Council of Canada (a body composed of the seventeen Commonwealth Governors), to a Term of four Years, the Governor-General and Prime Minister of Canada is usually, but not always, a Member of either the Canadian Senate or Canadian House of Commons; however, the person appointed Governor-General and Prime Minister must at all times during his tenure maintain the confidence of the House of Commons. To this end, the Federation Council appoints a person that can command the confidence of a majority of the House of Commons, though he need not be an actual member of the Commons, or even a legislator at all. Canadian prime ministers are styled as The Right Honourable (Le Très Honorable; ), a privilege maintained for life.

The current, and 1st, Governor-General and Prime Minister of Canada is the Liberal Party’s Justin Trudeau, who was appointed by the Federation Council of Canada on 1 September 1717, following the first federal election under the new Constitution.

Origins of the office
The office of Governor-General and Prime Minister draws its origin from the former offices of Governor-General and of Prime Minister, which, from 1567 through to the Second Confederation in 1717, were separate and distinct offices: Prior to Second Confederation, the Governor-General was the personal federal Representative of the Queen of Canada (e.g., her viceroy), and in this role served as the de facto head of state of Canada whenever the Queen was not present in Canada; and the Prime Minister was the federal head of government. Upon Second Confederation, these two offices were fused into the Office of Governor-General and Prime Minister of Canada.

Under the old system, the Prime Minister was appointed by the Governor-General upon the recommendation of the Canadian House of Commons, while the Governor-General was appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.