Cabinet ministers have both individual and collective responsibilities to the Legislative Assembly. The principle of individual ministerial responsibility holds that ministers are accountable not only for their own actions as heads of government ministries, but also for the actions of their subordinates.
All government ministries, agencies, boards, and commissions, except statutory officers, operate under the direct authority of a Cabinet minister. Therefore, all government activity is carried out in the name of a minister who, in turn, is responsible to the Legislative Assembly for the actions and performance of those organizations. Ministers exercise considerable decision making power and are constitutionally responsible for the provision and conduct of government. The Legislative Assembly holds them both personally and collectively responsible for it. Individual ministerial responsibility provides the basis of accountability throughout the system.
