Iapplaud the federal Liberals for having the guts to debate the merits of the monarchy at their national convention in Ottawa this past weekend.
A priority resolution put forward by the youth wing of the party read as follows: "Be it resolved that the Liberal Party of Canada urge the Parliament of Canada to form an all-party committee to study the implementation of instituting a Canadian head of state popularly elected and sever formal ties with the British Crown."
It's an age-old debate that has festered throughout the Commonwealth for decades.
Other countries have appropriately recognized having a ceremonial monarch does nothing significant for their country's pride and nationalism. In recent years, Australia, New Zealand, and Jamaica have all flirted with severing ties with the monarch. Guyana along with Trinidad and Tobago have already dispensed with it.
According to a 2009 Canada Day poll by Strategic Council, only 30% of Canadians feel a connection to the queen or governor general and 65% think ties to the monarchy should be cut once the current queen dies.
Despite the poll results, however, the Stephen Harper government is actually strengthening its connections with the royals. Last year, the government reintroduced the "royal" title back into the names of Canada's navy and air force and ordered portraits of the queen to be given more prominence at foreign affairs headquarters. The government has also planned several events to commemorate the queen's diamond jubilee.
In a time of austerity, are these costs really necessary?
According to a 2009 Maclean's magazine report, Canadians spend more than $50 million a year on the monarchy -that's about 1.53 cents for every man, woman and child in the country. That's more, on a per capita basis, than the British, who expend $1.32 per head.
I can think of a lot of other uses for the $50 million than to just waste it on pomp and ceremony.
Prior to 1947, we were all considered British subjects, not Canadian citizens; we once sang "God Save the Queen" in our schools; we once had the Union Jack as our flag.
But we rid ourselves of those colonial shackles.
Breaking ties with the monarchy is the next logical step in our country's evolution.
