A cross-party group of MPs voted on Wednesday to reject a bill that would have allowed MPs to opt out of the oath of allegiance to King Charles. This was a victory for monarchists who wanted to maintain the monarch’s status in Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet and most Liberal and Conservative MPs voted against the private member’s bill, while MPs from the Bloc Quebecois and the National Democratic Party voted against the private member’s bill, while some members of the two major parties, most of whom are based in Quebec, voted against the private member’s bill. ) and voted in favor of the following bills: Charles’s role in Parliament declined. The final result was 113-197.
This vote preserves the Canadian Constitution as originally written. Article 128 requires all newly elected or appointed members of parliament to swear an oath of “loyalty and true allegiance” to the current monarch.
Under Canada’s founding documents, members cannot legally take office as members of Parliament until they take the oath.
MPs began singing “God Save the King” in the House of Commons after MPs rejected a bill that would have allowed them to opt out of the oath of allegiance to King Charles.
C-347, introduced by New Brunswick Liberal MP Rene Arsenault, would allow members of Congress and the Senate to take the oath of office on their behalf.
The abbreviated oath would simply state that the officeholder will carry out his or her duties “in the best interest of Canada while upholding the Constitution.”
The bill’s defeat was met with thunderous applause from Charles’ supporters after House Speaker Greg Fergus announced the results, and spontaneously began singing “Save the King.”
“Order!” he said as lawmakers continued to sing his call for silence in the chamber.
A private member’s bill introduced by New Brunswick Liberal MP René Arsenault proposes making the traditional oath of allegiance to the reigning monarch optional for MPs and senators.
Canadian monarchists told CBC News that the bill amounts to republicanism by stealth, slowly removing the monarchy from Canada without actually dismantling the monarchy through a long constitutional battle with the provinces. He said it was part of a larger effort to chip away at it.
john fraser is president Crown Research Institute of Canada and a prominent monarchist. He called the bill a “stupid idea.”
He said Republicans are “foolishly” trying to dismantle Canada’s Westminster political system, a parliamentary system that has served the country for more than 150 years.
He said Canada’s long-standing association with the Crown, an institution that transcends the whims of partisan politics, is something to celebrate.
Fraser said the governor-general, the crown’s representative in Canada, checks political power and ensures the prime minister has control over the confidence of the House of Commons.
“We live in a constitutional monarchy, and trying to dismantle it piecemeal is not a good way to run a country,” Fraser told CBC News.
Fraser said Republicans have never offered a viable alternative to the current system.
“Look at what the republic is like now. Look south, United States, do we want it here?” he said.
Canada’s Republican Party, meanwhile, hailed the bill as a first step toward ridding the country of what they say is an outdated system.
Pierre Vincent, former federal civil servant; citizens of the republic of canadatold CBC News that Arsenault’s bill would abolish the oath, which he believes is a violation of free speech rights.
“Why are we still doing colonial and medieval things that are inconsistent with modern thinking about diversity and inclusion? I mean, it’s ridiculous. It doesn’t make sense.” Vincent said.
“Mexico once had a tradition of sacrificing virgins, but Mexico has abandoned it. Tradition itself is not a legitimate reason for such an act or for violating free speech.”
Opinion polls show the country is evenly divided down the middle on whether it is time to sever ties with the king.
A Léger poll of 1,544 Canadians conducted last year just before Prince Charles’ coronation found that 56 per cent of respondents said the country should “reconsider its relationship” with the monarchy. Agreed.
The number is even higher in Quebec, where 71 per cent of respondents said the king should undergo constitutional remorse.
People in Ontario (53%) and British Columbia (52%) are more likely than other regions to think King Charles and his successors should maintain their current role in our country’s system.
Britain’s new monarch, King Charles, has deep ties to Canada, and during his many visits to the country, he forged connections with some Canadians through charity work and advocacy.
Canada is unlikely to sever ties with Crown any time soon – if at all.
Canada’s constitution requires unanimity on this issue. The House and Senate and all 10 states would have to agree to a different system.
Prime Minister Trudeau said he doesn’t want such a long constitutional battle.
Loved or not, Charles is likely to remain here.
Charles has made 18 official visits to Canada since 1970, demonstrating an affinity for the country.
“Every time I come to Canada…a little bit more of Canada gets into my bloodstream and from there it goes straight to my heart,” he told a crowd in Newfoundland in 2009.
During his 2022 tour to commemorate the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee (his only visit to the Commonwealth Kingdom to celebrate), Prince Charles described Canada as a “true place” with “outgoing and big-hearted” people. “A great country,” he praised.
“As I get older, it’s especially heartwarming to see my children come to know and love this great country, just as the Queen and my late father and myself and my wife did,” Crowd in St. John’s said. told. .
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Trudeau praised Charles as someone who is “deeply aligned” with Canadian values, such as fighting climate change and pursuing Indigenous reconciliation.
