Summary

This website explains the mechanics all very well: Canadian Parliamentary System [https://www.ourcommons.ca/procedure/our-procedure/parliamentaryFramework/c_g_parliamentaryframework-e.html]. I'll include their summary here

Canada is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, rooted in the Westminster tradition. The system involves three main components: the Crown, the Senate, and the House of Commons. Responsibilities for lawmaking are shared among federal, provincial, and territorial governments, with judicial oversight ensuring constitutional adherence.

The Constitution governs the roles of the Crown as well as the Executive and Legislative branches.

The Governor General, appointed by the Sovereign on the Prime Minister’s recommendation, exercises executive authority in the Crown’s name. That function involves ceremonial roles and powers like granting royal assent and appointing the Prime Minister.

The Legislative Branch, or Parliament, is bicameral, with the appointed Senate and the elected House of Commons. Legislation must pass both chambers and receive royal assent to become law.

The Executive Branch, led by the Prime Minister and cabinet, implements laws and policies, with cabinet ministers being collectively and individually accountable to Parliament. The system ensures responsible government, requiring majority support in the House of Commons through the confidence convention.

Back to Basics

The government serves the interests of its people while maintaining basic human rights for all. That's it. The government has grown monstrous and is basically its own entity that is accountable to itself and serves itself. This is true for many nations but Canada in particular. I am exaggerating a bit if you picture something like George Orwell's 1984, but I am not if you compare it to how the government operated 100 years ago. This isn't just a libertarian small government rant, although I'd like that, it's more to illustrate the origins of common practices and the meanings behind them to show how things have changed.

1. Leader of the opposition: The party with the most seats in the house of commons forms the government, with the leader of that party being the prime minster. The second largest party becomes the “His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition” with the head being the leader of the opposition. This comes from the idea that the opposition is speaking on behalf of the people and its job is to oppose or prosecute the party in power on behalf of the people to keep the leading party in check. Make the mighty low. Loyalty in this case is loyalty to the people, not to the crown or political party. Every mistake could and should be exposed.
2. House of commons sides are 2.5 sword lengths apart: The house of commons in parliament has two sides, one for each of the major parties, and these sides are separated by two and a half sword lengths because back when the system was founded politicians carried swords and would swing at each other during heated debates.

Pierre Poilievre said on a joe rogan podcast (not sure if he made it up or not but it was the first time I heard it), if you cannot trust a man to govern himself then how can you trust a man to govern others. That resonated so well with me because it captured one of my biggest issues with government is that it takes on this parental authority in developed nations, where it's an attitude of just trust us we know what's best for you and you don't. 

Government vs Canada

Too often I hear people defend the Federal or provincial governments as if it were almost a religion. Criticism of Canadian politics is not the same as criticism of Canada. Canada is its people, culture, and history. The government is a set of elected officials that the people put in place to manage society. In an ideal world the government would perfectly represent the collective will of the people in line with the country's laws, in that case a criticism of the government would partially include criticism of the people since they are completely aligned. Even in that case however, it's still a criticism of ideas, not of people themselves. 

Now there is the exception of where maybe a foreigner or new arrival has all these gripes about the country that just took them in and it seems (rightfully so) that the person is being ungrateful. This is a fair and valid point and has become more of a rule than an exception due to Canada's massive immigration numbers recently. 

Technicality, Government vs Parliament

Technically politicians in Canada work for the parliament which works for the people via the house of commons. Not the government which is its own entity. I try to distinguish between them properly but if I mess up just try and take the main idea anyway.