Constitutional Monarchy

As is the case every time a new Governor General is sworn in, it raises the controversy of whether, or not, the office should even exist. What most Canadians don't seem to realise is that the office is an important check on our elected officials. The question shouldn't be so much, "do we need a Governor General," but rather, do we need a foreign Sovereign to our great Nation? The answer of course, is no! A resounding NO! We, as Canadian's, need to begin the process of creating our own Crown. As the second largest land nation on the planet, and as the foremost nation of peacekeeping and tolerance, this position (the creation of a Canadian Sovereign Monarch) is more than Justified. Just as traditional allies will diverge on governmental/fundamental philosophies over time, requiring forethought to future relationships, so too, do the roles change between the Motherland and her colonies. Canada should also be looking to the means of Expansion through peaceful means and in this role our new Governor General, Michäélle Jean, is perfectly suited. Her speech of inauguration was both moving and inspiring to me. As a Caucasian male I am greatly moved and pleased that our new head of state is a black woman who hailed from Haiti. This is in large part due to my sincere belief that Canada needs to engage in a process of peaceful expansion, whereby we would invite some of the more impoverished nations of the world to join our confederation as new provinces. Haiti is an ideal proving ground for such an endeavour, as Canadians have already proven themselves to the Haitian people through our efforts of peacekeeping and policing. Haiti would benefit from a improved standard of living, universal medicare, a strong currency, and a military devoted to maintaining human rights. Canada would benefit by having a Carribean tourist destination that is cheap, safe and affordable, while at the same time giving us the capability of becoming a power broker in the gulf of Mexico; mediating differences and possibly creating a trade block there, outside of FTAA and giving us a bridgehead into South America.

The office of the Governor General (and therefore the Monarchy) holds an important position within Canada; namely as a check on Democratic excess, or corruption. A good example of this would have been the recent challenge in the House of Commons by the Conservatives in their attempt to force the Liberal Minority Government into an early election. Under law, this attempt was illegal, because there are only certain times and events that allow such challenges; the presentation of the budget being one such. Our Governor General COULD have stepped in and put a stop to it by enforcing that law (and should have. Power IS meant to be exercised, or it does become redundant). Another example, and one of the few times that the Governor General flexed their muscles, was the election between Arthur Meighen and W. L. MacKenzie-King. There was widespread corruption at the ballot box and so the Governor General, Lord Byng, stepped up to the plate and declared that MacKenzie-King wasn't in fact Prime Minister, but Arthur Meighen was the legitimate Prime Minister.

The other important thing to note here is that the Governor General is the head of Canada's military, not the Prime Minister. This is important, because it means that the country can't go to war merely for the sake of political convenience. For myself, I think that it is critical to the country's well being that this is so; just as church and state should be separate, so too should state and Armed Forces remain distinct.

A Canadian Monarch, would therefore be able to do things in the interest of the country and Canadians as a whole, rather than just for political, or economic gain.

Things such as Northern development would become possible, perhaps through such incentives as eliminating the federal gas taxes for all residences living more than 150 kms north of the US/Canadian border (a stronger population north of the border is critical to Canada's national defence, as is a shift in industry).

Could apply pressure on Provincial Governments to move forward with alternative fuels, along the same lines as Ontario has (see Ontario's Ethanol initiative), or better yet, the European Union's Hydrogen program.

Could grant Provincial status to the Territories of the Yukon, North West Territories, and Nunavut, as well as perhaps even to the Métis and other First Nation Groups (possibly as a people, without necessarily having land attached) and many other options that politicians would never even deign to consider. At the same time, the Canadian Sovereign would be able to fix the current political system, making a more level and representative playing field, while at the same time giving the Québecios and First Nations a greater say in the country that they helped create. Something that was agreed upon prior to confederation and never carried through. There would be no Canada without the Canadiens who nearly single handedly saved Canada from conquest between 1813 and 1815, turning back two American armies and buying English Canada time to regroup and defend itself.

Most importantly though, a Canadian Monarch would have the capability of stopping certain industries from being sold off to foreign companies. i.e. BC Hydro was a Crown Corporation, as was BC Gas and BC Rail. (None of those sales should have been allowed to go through, and again could have been stopped by the Governor General).

This Sovereign would then be able to engage our fellow Commonwealth Nations to form a military alliance and common trade block, duty free, perhaps even with a common currency, that would not only make us a super power in our own right, but also allow those African members to begin the process of nation building and stability.

In a Constitutional Monarchy, such as we should have, the Governor General, and a Canadian Monarch, would provide an important safeguard to the people themselves, without which, even with a majority of citizens opposed, we could end up engaged in a war for political ends, if the elected government is a majority one. i.e. The Mulroney conservatives’ military involvement in the '92 Gulf War; an involvement, which seriously damaged Canada's credibility abroad.

Brucefur Mylroie Rex
ETA: 6 years.