There are still three branches, though. There's the judiciary, which is completely separate from Parliament. There's the House of Commons, presided over by the Speaker, into which the Prime Minister's party has to introduce bills; these are debated and voted upon just as bills are in the US Senate, except we don't get riders attached which have absolutely nothing to do with the bill (which seems utterly crazy to me). Bills can be amended, though this usually happens in the Committee stage.
The process is First Reading (just introducing it), Second Reading (where there's a debate), Committee stage, Third Reading, where there's a final vote. Votes are held at every stage, though in theory the first reading is a formality.
Then there is the Senate, which is the Canadian Upper House; the Senate has legislative oversight and all bills passed by the Commons must also pass Senate - if Senate amends or rejects them they return to the Commons, which can overrule Senate if it votes to do so.
The Canadian system is modelled on the British, by the way. I believe that Acts of Parliament are signed into law by the Governor-General, as the Queen's representative in Canada, but I can't swear to that.
So, in the sense that the Prime Minister has power to do whatever he wants in a majority government, he does... unless enough people vote against him in the Commons or the Senate. Which can happen!
Wendy
