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Justification:
- Canada always a Monarchy
- More democratic than republic
- Monarchy and federalism
- Monarchical Government
- Monarchy for the 21st Century
- This Land Is Their Land
- Hereditary?
- The Governor-General
- The Queen's roles?
- A shared monarchy
- A United Canada
- Multicultural Monarchy
- What does it cost Canadians?
- Bringing out the best in us
- More democratic than republic
- Republic = USA
The Constitution of Canada declares that the Government of
Canada and the Commander in Chief of the Forces are vested in the Queen.
Her Majesty is one of three parts of the Parliament of Canada (Queen, Senate
and Commons). She is Sovereign of the Order of Canada, Sovereign of the
Order of Military Merit, Colonel-in-Chief of numerous units of the Canadian
Forces, Honorary Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and
Patron of many institutions and
organizations
in various walks of Canadian
life.
The Queen succeeded to the Throne in 1952. She assumed the separate title
"Queen of Canada" by Act of Her Canadian Parliament 1953. She
was crowned 1953 and became the first Sovereign to open the Parliament
of Canada in person 1965, and proclaimed the National Flag of Canada 1965.
Presided at the Centenary of Canadian Confederation 1967. Opened the Montreal
Olympics 1976. Celebrated Her Silver Jubilee in Ottawa 1977. Proclaimed
the revised Constitution of Canada 1982. Created Canadian Heraldic Authority
1987. Presided over Canada Day Celebrations, Parliament Hill, 1990 &
1992.
Canada
always a Monarchy
From the days of earliest settlement the only form of society Canadians
have known has been a monarchy. The native people themselves had a tribal
idea of kingship. Our tradition of monarchy was French and British and
became, as it now is, distinctly Canadian. In 1867 Canadians freely and
deliberately reaffirmed their allegiance to the Monarchy. They have done
so at each subsequent stage in their political development.
More
democratic than republic
The Queen of Canada is more democratic than a President of Canada ever
could be because she represents all Canadians. An elected president would
owe his selection to a political faction, and this would publicly divide
him from many of his countrymen and would make his claim to represent "the
people" less convincing. Frequent selections of presidents would interrupt
the continuity essential for an effective head of our country. An elected
presidents will always be partisan, whereas a Monarch will not be. The
Queen and her heirs have been trained from birth for one vocation -- that
of discharging the duties of sovereign of Canada. Therefore, they are the
only Canadians fit to assume this important position.
Monarchy
and Federalism
An appointed President, or Governor-General can only be a figure of
the central government. The Queen, however, transcends and encompasses
both central and provincial governments. She is non-partisan between levels
of government as well as political parties and therefore is indispensable
to the federal system.
Monarchical Government
Constitutional monarchy alone is capable of integrating the executive,
legislative and judicial functions of government. The Crown's authority
lends a universal legitimacy to the many particular decisions made by and
at different levels of government. Constitutional monarchy allows the celebration
of public social events, such as the marking of collective anniversaries
and the bestowal of honours, to be free of the taint of partisan politics.
In a world of rapid social change, where there is a price to be paid for
uncertainty, be that price only economic, constitutional monarchy provides
continuity, especially at time of political transition. As well, the Monarchy gives Canada a distinctive political system at a
time of strong North American Continental trade, social and cultural influences.
Monarchy
for
the 21st Century
Most of the stable and prosperous democracies in the world today are
constitutional monarchies. On the other hand, most of the unstable countries
in the contemporary world are republics, many of which have overthrown
their monarchies. There is a sense of easy communication between monarchy
and people, which politicians by nature are unable to develop. Canadians
participate fully in their Queen's life; they are involved in her activities
during home-comings and through the media. Many new Canadians readily identify
with our Canadian Monarchy which is a living institution of the twentieth
century, constantly changing and adapting to our modern way of life. Moreover,
the colour and ceremony which surround the Monarchy attract the interest
of Canadians, especially young people, in our process of government
This Land Is Their Land
The Royal Family's personal ties with Canada began with our history.
The first member to be present in the new land was King George III's son
Prince William (William IV) who arrived in Newfoundland in 1786. Queen
Victoria's father, the Duke of Kent, during his nine years' residence here
from 1791 to 1800, prepared the military defences that warded off the invader
in 1812. The 1860 tour of the Prince of Wales (Edward VII) cut through
sectional differences -- especially in the Maritimes -- and hastened Confederation.
Princess Louise played a role in the Canadian cultural flowering in the
latter pat of the nineteenth century: the Royal Canadian Academy and the
National Gallery of Canada are both associated with her. Another Prince
of Wales (Edward VIII) made a triumphant cross-Canada tour in 1919 and
helped bring unity to a Canadian society sadly divided by class strife
following the Winnipeg General Strike. In our own time, Prince Philip as
President of the Canadian Medical Association in 1959 stimulated a concern
for physical fitness among Canadians. His Duke of Edinburgh's Award established
here in 1963 has involved thousands of Canadian youth. In 1977 the Duke
of York (Prince Andrew) attended school in Canada. A major biographer of
the Queen has commented that not only is Her Majesty Queen of Canada in
law but that she also feels Canadian. On her first tour of Canada
in 1951 as Princess Elizabeth, the Queen commented that the warmth of the
welcome Canadians had given her "made us feel how truly we belong
to Canada". In 1978, she declared in Edmonton "I am getting to
know our country rather well". On Parliament Hill in 1990 after the
collapse of the Meech Lake negotiations, she reminded Canadians, "I
am no fair weather friend" thus asserting the Monarch's concern for
Canada in difficult times as well as happy times.
Hereditary?
Perhaps Canadian historian Jacques Monet has said it best. "...a
king is a king, not because he is rich and powerful, not because he belongs
to a particular creed or to a national group. He is King because he is
born. And in choosing to leave the selection of their head of state to
this most common denominator in the world -- the accident of birth -- Canadians
implicitly proclaim their faith in human equality; their hope for the triumph
of nature over political manoeuvre, over social and financial interest;
for the victory of the human person."
The Governor-General
The Governor-General is the Queen of Canada's personal representative
in Canada. Canada shares its monarch with many other countries,
countries with whom we have a common legal and constitutional history in
the Commonwealth. Normally the Queen resides in her most ancient realm,
the United Kingdom, but she is regularly present in her newer kingdoms
around the world. When she is not in Canada, the Governor-General exercises
the Queen's prerogative powers, as empowered by the Letters Patent issued
by King George VI in 1947. These powers, however, belong to the Queen,
not to the Governor-General. For example, the Governor-General represents
the Queen in Parliament but is not himself a part of Parliament. In addition,
the Governor-General exercises certain other functions that are conferred
upon him by Parliament in his capacity as administrator of the Government
of Canada on behalf of the Queen. The Constitution of Canada recognises
two distinct positions, that of Queen and that of Governor-General. The
position of Governor-General is subordinate to and derived from that of
the Queen. Although the popular expression "head of State" is
sometimes used to refer to the Queen and to the Governor-General, the Governor-General
as representative of the Queen is clearly not a head of state. He carries
out the duties of the head of state but is not himself one. Nor does the
Governor-General "advise" the Queen. He either acts as the Queen
or is a channel of advice from the Prime Minister to the Queen. The Governor-General
has an extremely important function, although that is seriously impaired
if the holder does not consciously carry it out as representative of the
Queen.
The Queen's Roles?
The Queen is the emblem of Canadian citizenship. The Executive Authority
of and over Canada is vested in the Queen. The Queen is one of the three
parts of Parliament ("I greet you as your Queen. Together we constitute
the Parliament of Canada" she told MP's & Senators in Ottawa in
1957.). Government Ministers are her Ministers. As the law-making authority
for Canada the Queen proposes some laws (through her democratically responsible
Ministers) or is asked by her High Court of Parliament to make certain
other laws. Measures of a governing political party therefore are introduced
into Parliament as royal measures. That does not mean Canadians should
not oppose them. To make clear that such criticism is legitimate, the opposing
elements in Parliament are officially called Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.
The final stage of Canadian lawmaking is Royal Assent by which bills are
created laws by the Queen on behalf of the whole country. In the daily
conduct of government, the Queen's right to be consulted, the right to
encourage and the right to warn provide a check on excessive Prime Ministerial
power. These rights are usually exercised for the Queen by her Canadian
Governors. It is, however, the authority, legitimacy, prestige and neutrality
conferred by the Queen on the Governors which enable them to exercise these
rights effectively. The Crown's existence in Canada ensures that the Rule
of Law is maintained, and does not vary because of the results of an election.
The royal character of Canadian society is carried throughout all levels
of government service. The Canadian Forces, the Mails, the Civil Service
function in the Queen's name, not on behalf of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
of the day. Federal and Provincial Oaths reflect this impartiality, and
the proud allegiance of the Forces, judiciary, police officers and public
servants. Kingship sets up an ideal of justice and conduct for people to
live by. Ultimately this is a greater protection for civil liberties than
any written document. The fact that authority comes from the Queen, not
from "the
government", has been one of the most important factors
in shaping the attitudes of Canadians. Therefore Her Majesty's presence
promotes democracy, as she can dismiss governments who act in an illegal
manner.
A
shared Monarchy
By sharing our Monarch with 16 other countries, Canadians participate
in a global civilization that encompasses peoples of widely varying conditions
from around the world. Through her office and her person, the Queen reflects
a civilized character that transcends nationalism. This civilized character
preserves and yet reconciles the distinct contribution to the development
of Canada made by our aboriginal peoples, by the French settlers, by the
British settlers, and, more recently, by people of widely varying ethnic
origins. The Queen is skilled in separating her duties as Queen of Canada,
Jamaica, etc., from her role as Queen of the United Kingdom. In Canada,
as in each of the Realms, she acts only on the advice of her Canadian constitutional
advisors, the Ministry of the day. A shared monarchy and the Commonwealth
of Nations of which the Queen is Head, comprise a quarter of the world's
people.
A
United Canada
The French-Canadian tradition, in common with the British and other
European traditions, is also monarchical. French-Canadians have chosen
the Monarchy several times in their history: their cultural and religious
leaders rejected overtures to join the rebellious colonists during the
American Revolution; in 1867 they participated enthusiastically in the
choice of a monarchy under the present Royal House as the form of government
of the newly created Canadian kingdom; at the First Ministers Conference
of February 1979 the Quebec Premier reiterated his position that as long
as Quebec remained within Confederation the province insisted on retaining
the Queen as a restraint on excessive centralisation. Among the historic
names of French Canada who have at some time spoken out for the Crown are
Bishop Briand, Sir Étienne Tâché, Sir George Étienne
Cartier, Joseph Israel Tarte, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Roaul Dandurand, Camillien
Houde, Ernest Lapointe, Maurcie Duplessis, Jean Lesage, Réal Caouette
and Jean Chrétien. Queen Elizabeth II is a fluent speaker of the
French language (as are Prince Philip and other members of the Royal Family).
At St. Pierre, Manitoba, in 1970, Her Majesty stated: "It is agreeable
to me to think that there exists in our Commonwealth a country where I
can express myself officially in French". The early history of her
Royal House is closely bound up with that of the French Crown and French
culture.
Multicultural Monarchy
The diversity of the Royal Family's origins has a special message for
our multicultural society. Among the strains that can be identified in
the backgrounds of the Queen, the Prince of Wales and Prince William are
Albanian, Arab, Armenian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English,
French, Georgian, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Jewish, Lithuanian,
Mongol, Norman, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian,
Scottish, Serbian, Spanish, Swedish, Swiss, Tartar, Ukrainian and Welsh.
It was the Crown in fact which fostered the first multicultural immigration
to Canada--that of the Loyalists. "I want the Crown to be seen as
a symbol of national sovereignty belonging to all," the Queen said
in Toronto in 1973. "It is not only a link between Commonwealth nations,
but between Canadian citizens of every national origin and ancestry."
The Crown prevents the rights of any minority from being legitimately trampled
upon by a majority. The historic affectionate relationship between Sovereign
and native peoples is testimony to this.
What
does it cost Canadians?
The Monarchy actually costs Canadians nothing because even if we did
not have it we would still have to maintain a presidential establishment.
Recent examples of presidencies indicate that they would probably cost
much more. For Canada at present, the Monarchy involves a small outlay
for royal engagements and tours, and the modest Households and expenses
of the Governor-General and the provincial Lieutenant-Governors
--
a figure
estimated at about one dollar per person per year. The Canadian taxpayer
contributed nothing to the personal expenses of our Queen or any member
of our Royal Family. Let us also not forget the tourist dollars generated
from Royal visits!
Bringing
out
the
best
in
us
Vincent Massey said the Monarchy was best described as "a kind
of society where, by a special personal symbolism, the community seeks
to remind itself of its oneness and of its corporate will to see and cherish
excellence wherever it may be found." Certainly the many aspects of
our life touched today by the Monarchy demonstrate encouragement of the
right kind of elitism. In her travels across the country, the Queen personally
meets many individual Canadians, thereby enhancing their sense of belonging
to a dignified social and political community, Out of this mutual recognition
between subject and Sovereign springs a sense of personal loyalty and honourable
behaviour. Toronto's Princess Margaret Hospital and Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth
Theatre are leaders in their respective fields; the Prince of Wales Heritage
Centre is one of the newest foundations in the North; Princess Alexandra
is patron of our world-famous Osborne and Lillian H. Smith Collections
of children's books; 'People in an Industrial Society' was the theme of
the Duke of Edinburgh's Fifth Commonwealth Study Conference organised in
Canada in 1980; Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother is patron of the Victorian
Order of Nurses; the Queen Elizabeth II Fund to Aid in Research on the
Diseases of Children has been making a contribution to the field of medicine
since 1959; Charles, Prince of Wales, is Colonel-in-Chief of Lord Strathcona's
Horse (Royal Canadians), and many other members of the Royal Family are
linked with units of the Canadian Armed Forces. The Queen is Patron of
several leading independent schools, such as Winnipeg's St. John's-Ravenscourt;
she accorded "Royal" status in 1989 to St. George's College,
Toronto, while Prince Philip is Visitor of Upper Canada College and Prince
Andrew is Patron of Lakefield College School. In 1992, Prince Edward became
Patron of Regina's Globe Theatre. These are but a few examples and do not
include the many organisations designated "Royal" that are known
to us all.
More
democratic
than
republic
The Monarchy is more democratic than a republic. Canada is a constitutional
monarchy - the most democratic type of government today. If fact, most
of the world's democracies are constitutional monarchies, whereas the majority
of undemocratic nations in the world are republics. Of course there are
exception. Such nations as France, and the USA are democratic republics,
but by far, the majority of republics are undemocratic. The residual powers
of the Queen make the monarchy more democratic. The Queen for example, has
the power to dismiss a prime minister who is doing something illegal or
is tampering with the democratic machinery in Canada.
Upon the dismissal, the Queen can call a quick election to promote
democracy.
Republic = USA
Despite assurances from republicans, a republic will make Canada more
similar to the United States. While republicans advocate a different form of
republic than the American republic, republics in principle are fundamentally similar.
We are already bombarded by American culture, and the monarchy
is one unique institution which makes Canada unique.
Courtesy © Monarchist League of Canada
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| Republicans claim
that monarchies are undemocratic, outdated and
are stuck in the dark ages. Then why is it that
according to the
United Nations, a great majority of the best nations in
the world are monarchies? The answer is simple: Monarchies work! They are democratic, prosperous
and clearly ahead of republics! |
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