The Prime Minister chooses who will enter the Cabinet, how large a body it will be, and the extent to which individual Cabinet ministers exert influence upon the direction of public policy in Canada. It has been said that the Prime Minister is the first among equals in relations with his Cabinet colleagues.
Many factors affect the Prime Minister in determining the size and composition of the Cabinet. One is the mood of the country and in the PM's party about whether the government, as presently constituted, is too big or too small.
