Just recently during a speech in Paris Michaelle Jean, Canada’s Governor General, referred to herself as Canada’s “head of state,” immediately sparking controversy throughout the Canadian government. For those of you who are unaware, Queen Elizabeth II is actually Canada’s head of state – not our Prime Minister. Without going into the gritty details on what the Governor General actual does, because to be honest that sometimes escapes me, she is more or less a representative of the Queen for Canada and carries out mostly ceremonial and constitutional duties.
At a first glance, this doesn’t seem like such a big deal. But as Paul Dewar stated in the Ottawa Citizen soon after the speech, “It should be cleared up real quick that the Queen is the head of state... When I taught Civics in my class, that’s who is the head of state.”
No wonder Canadians are confused, not only about their own history, but about how their government works: the people who are supposed to be running it don’t even understand the basic fundamentals and principals of our political system. Furthermore, the Ottawa Citizen also went on to state that according to the Dominion Institute of Canada 92 percent of Canadians were unaware that the Queen was Canada’s head of state.
Shocking? Not really given the apathetic nature of most Canadian people to think twice about their own political system.
Some say we’re an independent nation defined by Vimy Ridge or the Statute of Westminster, but this recent hiccup makes me wonder are we always going to be a nation held on a invisible leash free to wander only when mother says it’s okay to go out and play?
- Ty
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Funny that this came up again. Recently in one of my classes we had a large debate over this very issue. Strangely enough those in favour of our current system took up about 40% of the class. The other 60%, myself included, favoured a removal of the Queen.
ReplyDeleteWhat also tends to escape people is the fact that the Prime Minister is not actually head of government at all. Nowhere in our constitution does it say "Prime Minister," rather we run on a party system with the option of having a consensually appointed figure head.
Time for a change? Of course!
In our lifetime probably not.
- Z.R. Nissen
I think so.
ReplyDeleteI mean I still under stand our imperialistic ties, but this is just ridiculous.
Since WW2 we have done more business with the United States than Great Britain both defense and economic wise.
But you're right, I doubt we'll live too see the day that the Governor General's position is removed and the Queen appoint the Prime Minister as Canada's Head of State.
- Ty
Canada hasn't got a queen... In fact it doesn't have a de jure constitution.
ReplyDeleteSection 2 of the BNA act was repealed in 1883(?) by the British Parliament. S. 2 set out that Queen Vic and her heirs we to reign in Canada forever. That section was repealed how is it we have Elizabeth II as our head of STATE???
Canada under the BNA...we were not confederated only sovereign states can do this. The Provinces could only become a giant super colony of Great Britain.
The Statute of Westminster Ended the Rule of British Law in Canada. The BNA was nothing more than an Act of the British Parliament a statute like any other no force. The Provinces reverted to individual colonies once more.
They had the right at that time to draft Constitutions declaring their sovereignty once ratified by the people of the provinces. Then they could have confederated back into one big sovereign state and drafted and ratified a Constitution for Canada with the people. The Notwithstanding clause (the psyche class) also renders the constitution not worth the paper it is written on.
As it stands since the Constitution was not signed by all the provinces and ratified by the people in Canada our Constitution is de facto law.
In essence if the People of Quebec were to have a referendum with a clear question like stay or go there is nothing the Government can do. There is no divorce where there is no marriage. the same is true for every province.
No one should be head of anything without the peoples consent. Elected head of state, elected judiciary, elected senate.....
should not be allowed to pass water over Canada without being elected to so .....