The Queen’s picture graces most of our currency, even though she resides in another country. In other countries their currency usually portrays their own political figures or heads of state, so why must we be an exception? Why must we honour someone whose knowledge of our national issues is minimal? Therefore, the monarchy does not serve a useful function within the Canadian political system.
The first reason as to why the monarch is ineffective is due to the fact that she has all the power in the country of Canada but neglects to use it. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, and theoretically, the Queen, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor is the most powerful person in the country. However, the Constitution limits her authority to some degree, as well as her ability to make changes for our country. The queen does not use her power in contribution to how Canada is run, by whom it is run, or how well it succeeds, therefore her position as monarch is wasted. She is in theory more powerful than the Prime Minister, and as a matter of fact, the whole federal government combined, but in reality when it all comes down to making vital political decisions, and settling disputes, all that is required from our monarch is on occasion her signature. In fact, most of the bills passed in Canada do not even require the Queen’s consent because the powers that are constitutionally hers are exercised wholly upon the advice of the elected government. By being the head of state of thirteen different Commonwealth countries, she does not have the time to acquire knowledge that would allow her to be one of Canada’s prime decision makers.
In addition to having power but not using it, the Queen expects a certain standard of respect and loyalty from Canadians, but some believe that when she visits our country, she is a waste of valuable time and money. All the preparation that goes into planning her visit, giving speeches and welcoming her dutifully, forces us to ask ourselves if all of this effort is worth having a monarch who does not even keep in regular contact with Canada. It would definitely be more beneficial to Canadian taxpayers if this hard earned money would be put towards issues that are in need today such as the homeless or health care situations. Assuring that one of the most influential people in the world is comfortable means protecting her and making sure that she is satisfied at all costs. To Canada, her visits can represent a great burden to our taxpayers, and in turn take money out of our economy.
Lastly, the idea that a British Queen is our head of state is considered irrationally senseless because many people in the country of Canada do not even seem to feel the personal link or connection between her and our citizens. Some may ask, why is she British? Now of course, because of our colonial past, and the BNA act, this is potentially understandable. This could have made sense in our early years as a dominion when so many people in the country were of British descent, but the monarch has no place in today’s modern multicultural, diverse Canada. Canada has been independent of the UK for a long period of time, and Britain has little to do with our people and our decisions. Therefore, a link is lacked because people who would have naturally supported the Queen (the British) have lost their domination in today’s multicultural society.
All in all, for these reasons the Queen is viewed as if she’s not there in our political system. Her opinion in matters of political jurisdiction is absent, her cost is unreasonable, and her link or purpose in our international chain is lacking. In a country that is so politically developed, why can’t we finally take a stance and abolish these archaic ties with the past?
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