Opinion
Can Canada engage in a significant constitutional change that leaves us more united?
By Andrew Parkin March 18, 2021
None of these complexities mean that Canada is destined to forever retain a hereditary British king or queen as head of state. But they do suggest that we need to go beyond the observation that the monarchy seems outdated, and prepare ourselves for the hard work of finding something that works better for us.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, pictured in 1963 at the opening of the New Zealand Parliament. Two other aspects of Canada’s head of state arrangement would come to the fore in any serious debate about change. One is the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the crown, which pre-dates the establishment of the Canadian state, writes Andrew Parkin. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia
The resignation of Canada’s governor general and the renewed fighting within the British Royal Family have sparked a fresh round of reflection about Canada’s ties to the monarchy. What began as a discussion about who should vet candidates for governor general has segued into a debate about whether we should get rid of the Queen as Canada’s head of state.
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