The resolution sets out to define Canadian sovereignty, independent of the British Royal Family.
They bring up some very interesting points, many that I was not aware of.
WHEREAS Canadians believe in earning one’s position in life and not being simply born into privilege;The timing of this resolution is important, because there is a group of individuals, committed to reaffirming our ties to the British Crown. They are behind the renaming of our navy to the Royal Canadian Navy, antiquated and misleading. We are no longer part of the British military, nor do we have a monarch, despite what Stephen Harper thinks or would like.
WHEREAS our head of state should be a true representative of the People of Canada;
WHEREAS Canada prides itself in being a democratic nation, with democratic institutions;
WHEREAS foreign law bars individuals not of the Anglican faith from rising to the position of head of state of Canada;
WHEREAS Canada’s head of state should conform to Canadian laws of gender and religious equality represented in the Charter of Rights and Freedom;
WHEREAS Canadians pay more to maintain the monarchy than the British;
WHEREAS an unelected individual can and is prepared to supersede the will of the Parliament;
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.
One of my readers contacted me about doing a piece on this now influential Monarchist League. They are in the news quite a bit, no doubt behind Rob Ford's musings about putting the Queen's picture back in public buildings. They are also pushing to have another patch added to our ugly Olympic uniforms, that look like those worn by Boy Scouts and Girl Guides.
The patch would be to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 60 year reign.
That should be up to the Brits to decide whether or not to put it on their uniforms. It has no place on ours.
I've been doing a bit of digging and so far what I've learned of this Monarchist League is quite troubling, so I will be posting some info soon.
Don't get me wrong. Most of the rank and file are just people who like the nostalgia. However, there is an agenda. Not one that most Canadians would support.
I hope the resolution passes, but more importantly that it raises awareness to the archaic ties to a family that we pay more to support than the country where the family hails. They are wealthy enough. They don't need us.
Time to re-share my favourite video, representing the Canada we knew and loved, before Stephen Harper got his hands on it.
[Song & video produced by Julia Bentley & Andrew Gunadie]
