Monarchism in Canada
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Monarchism in Canada is the belief amongst certain Canadians that the system of constitutional monarchy is, for varying reasons, the best constitutional framework for Canada.
- Further information: Monarchy in Canada
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[edit] History and present day
Canadian monarchists have historically celebrated the Monarchy as a link to the United Kingdom and British Empire, and thus a tie to Canada's British heritage. However, in reaction to Quebec separatism, the enhancement of multiculturalism as an official policy, and the growth of a distinct Canadian nationalism through the 1970s and 80s, less and less attention was paid to Canada's British heritage, of which the Monarchy was deemed to be at least partly representative. Still, into the 1990s the Monarchy also began to take on more distinctively Canadian aspects, including the enhnacement of the role of the Governor General as a national and international representative of the Queen and Canada, as well as the federal and provincial governments recognising and promoting the Queen's role as Monarch of Canada as separate to her position as Queen of the United Kingdom.
Thus, while monarchists will today still celebrate the monarchy as a historically significant institution, contemporary arguments will also often centre on the perceived political advantage of a constitutional monarchy system of governance, as well as what they assert are the distinct Canadian aspects of the Crown in Right of Canada, which is sometimes referred to by Canadian monarchists as the "Maple Crown." They state that as the Crown is shared with the other Commonwealth Realms in an equal fashion (by the Statute of Westminster), the monarchy is therefore partly Canadian; a perception in line with the Department of Canadian Heritage. [1] Also, monarchists such as Stephen Phillips reject republican assertions that the monarchy as it operates within Canada is a British, rather than Canadian, institution.
Monarchists argue that the monarchy is a fundamentally unbiased institution, and the apolitical nature of the Crown enables the Queen to be a non-partisan figure who can act as an effective intermediary between Canada's various levels of government and political parties – an indispensable feature in a federal system. It is argued that the monarchy makes the provinces in their fields of jurisdiction as potent as the federal authority, thus allowing for a flexible federalism. Also, the Queen holds no favouritism towards any specific political party, group of voters, donors, etc., allowing her to be an unbiased referee during any potential governmental crisis.
Monarchists thus say that it is impossible to imagine that any elected head of state can remain as apolitical and unbiased as the Queen currently is. They argue that having both an elected president and prime minister could lead to the two coming to odds over who holds more authority; each could claim to be "elected by the people".
However, republicans have argued that the monarchy is not above politics. One example they point to is the alleged support King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth showed for British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, by inviting him onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace upon his return from signing the Munich Pact with Nazi Germany. The King's decision to do this has been described by a few modern critics as "unconstitutional," although Chamberlain's action was overwhelmingly approved of by the British public at the time, anxious to avoid the catastrophe of another world war in their lifetime.
Monarchists also argue that a republican head of state would cost more, not less, than the current monarchy due to additional costs involved in updating the Governor General's residences to full head of state presidential palace level, the costs of state visits, political advisers, increased ceremonial functions, etc.; functions that in many cases do not exist for a Governor General, given that he or she is not a full head of state, but which would be required for a Canadian president.
Public opinion polls in Canada show that sentiments concerning the monarchy tend to be apathy and indifference. Some polls have shown a slight majority of Canadians to favour the creation of a republic, while others show support for the Monarchy, but most polls suggest that the issue is a low priority among Canadians. Monarchists, traditionally, are more passionate about their advocacy for the monarchy than republicans have been in their opposition. While the Monarchist League of Canada was formed in 1970 to fight what it saw as "creeping republicanism" in the gradual removal of references to royalty and the dominion by federal institutions, it was only in 2002 that republicans formed their own lobby group, Citizens for a Canadian Republic.
[edit] Recent polls
Support for the monarchy in Canada dropped to record lows in the late 1990s. In the first half of the new century, support for the monarchy has risen to include the majority of Canadians. However, the fact that many Canadians continue to not completely understand exactly what a "Head of State" is, or the exact nature of the Queen's current role in Canada, can cause some problems in drawing concrete conclusions from poll results. Other problems in seeking public opinion have been caused by the phrasing of individual questions in such polls.
- An opinion poll conducted by the Strategic Council and published by the Globe and Mail on September 27, 2005 found that 47% of Canadians favoured maintaining the "British monarchy" as Canada's head of state while an equal number were opposed. Amongst Quebeckers only 23 per cent of respondents support retaining the Queen as Canada's head of state, while 71 per cent were opposed. The question asked was: "Under the Canadian Constitution, Queen Elizabeth holds the position of Head of State. The Governor General is the Queen’s representative in Canada. Do you support or oppose that the British monarchy remain the Head of State in Canada?" (Poll results - PDF document) In response to this poll, John Aimers of the Monarchist League of Canada argued that as with the 2002 Ekos poll (listed below), the question asked contained the word "British" in association with the monarchy. Aimers asserted that this wording is not neutral and presents the institution as foreign thus affecting the answers given by respondents.
- An opinion poll conducted by Environics Research Group Ltd. for the CBC in April 2005 taken on the eve of Prince Charles' wedding to the Duchess of Cornwall found that 65% of Canadians support Charles as King. Only 27% of Canadians did not support him as King.
- A March 2005 Decima Research Poll found that 71% of Canadians had a favourable impression of the Royal Family and only 20% had an unfavourable impression of the Royal Family. The poll found that 28% of Canadians saw the Queen as their favourite member of the Royal Family, Prince William was second with 26%, Prince Harry was third with 9%, Prince Charles was fourth with 6% and Prince Philip last with 2% support.
- A March 2005 poll prepared by Pollara Inc. for Rogers Media Inc. and Maclean's indicated that 46% supported, while 37% opposed the statement: "Do you support or oppose Canada replacing the British Monarch as Canadian Head of State?" (Source: Maclean's magazine, March 21, 2005, p.15). This survey was deemed by monarchists as skewed for two reasons: It mentioned the "British Monarch" rather than the "Queen of Canada", and it was taken at after the announcement of Prince Charles's marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles – an announcement that was seen as unpopular even by some monarchists.
In 2002, the year of the Queen's golden jubilee, polls were taken by Canada's three biggest polling firms on Canadian views of the monarchy.
- The 2002 Ekos poll found that support for abolition of the monarchy is declining yet also highlighted many contradictions in public opinion. 48% agreed and 35% disagree with the statement, "Instead of a British monarch, we should have a Canadian citizen as our head of state." Yet at the same time 43% disagreed and 41% agreed to the same question worded slightly differently: "it's time to abolish the monarchy in Canada." Again, monarchists suggest the confusion may arise from the skewed question which refers to the "British monarch" as Canada's head of state. (As the distinct Queen of Canada, sovereign of the Canadian Crown, many argue the monarchy is, in part, Canadian.) Only 5% were even aware that the Queen was, in fact, Canada's head of state, with 69% thinking it was the Prime Minister and 9% believing it was the Governor General. 55% agree that the monarchy keeps Canada distinct from the United States, while 33% disagree. This survey has often been cited as evidence of the lack of knowledge that many Canadians have of their government's institutions and functions. (Poll results – PDF document)
- The 2002 Ipsos-Reid poll found that 79% of Canadians support "the constitutional monarchy as Canada's form of government where we elect governments whose leader becomes Prime Minister." However, republicans suggest the result may have been skewed by the inclusion of "where we elect governments whose leader becomes Prime Minister." Also, 62% believe the monarchy helps to define Canada's identity. At the same time, 48% of Canadians say that "the constitutional monarchy is outmoded and would prefer a republican system of government with an elected head of state", and two-thirds (65%) believe the royals are merely celebrities and should not have any formal role in Canada. The same poll also found that 58% believe that "the issue of the monarchy and the form of Canada’s government isn’t important to them and if the system is working OK why go through all the fuss to change it." (Poll results – PDF document)
- The 2002 Leger Marketing poll found 50% said "yes" to the statement, "Elizabeth II is currently the Queen of Canada. Do you (yes or no) want Canada to maintain the monarchy?" 43% said "no". Also, a majority (56%) said "yes" to: "In your opinion, should we replace the head of Queen Elizabeth II on the Canadian dollar by those of people who have influenced Canadian history?" 39% said "no". (Poll results – PDF document)
[edit] See also
- Monarchy in Canada
- Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
- Debate on the Canadian monarchy
- Constitutional Monarchy
- Republic
- Republicanism
[edit] External links
- Monarchist League of Canada in North Saskatchewan | South Saskatchewan | Ottawa | Hamilton
- Canadian Monarchist ONLINE
- Canadian Royal Heritage Trust
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ [www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/fr-rf/index_e.cfm]
