"I do not consider myself to be a rabid
monarchist. I am pretty laissez-faire about
our relationship with the monarchy. It does
not bother me in my day-to-day workings,
not only as a citizen of our country but also
as a member of Parliament. In my humble
opinion, monarchs can truly be above
politics. They do not have any political
affiliations. In fact, if the King were to
meddle in domestic politics, that would be
seen as highly inappropriate and would probably result in a
constitutional crisis.
It is important to realize that our oath to the King, to the
heirs and successors of the King, is not to an individual
person; it is rather to that person as an embodiment of the
Crown as an institution. It is a symbol of the Canadian state,
a ship that continues to sail on despite the occasional
changing of its captains. The monarch's continual rule
provides legislative and policy consistency over long periods
of time. Governments come and go but the Crown remains.
Canada is not alone in this. Constitutional monarchies in
western Europe include the United Kingdom, Denmark,
Spain, Norway, the Netherlands, Monaco, Belgium,
Luxembourg and Sweden, countries we would all uphold as
successful, with strong social foundations, strong democratic
participation and, in many cases, serving as models for what
Canada could aspire to be. Asia, Japan and Thailand are
also constitutional monarchies as well.
When we are talking about the institution of Parliament, and
this is what I like to talk to my students in my riding about,
because we often talk about Parliament and the House of
Commons interchangeability, Parliament means the House,
the Senate and the Crown, which is represented by our
Governor General, all three constituent parts that are
required to pass a bill into law. No bill could become a law
without any of those bodies playing an important role.
I also want to address the need for the monarchy to address
past injustices. I may be saying that the monarchy is okay to
stay in Canada, but that does not mean it cannot and must
not change with the times in which we find ourselves. Many
people around the world have a very troubled history and
relationship with the British Crown. It has to confront and
deal with legacies of colonialism, of slavery and, particularly
in Canada, the treatment of indigenous people and
residential schools.
His Majesty King Charles III has an unparalleled
opportunity to move the monarchy forward in a way that is
acceptable and more relevant to today's generation. As a
king, he has the opportunity to go further than his
predecessors, to truly understand the 21st century in which
we find ourselves. It is my sincere hope that in his first visit
to Canada, he takes the time to meet with indigenous elders
to truly understand the Crown's role in the residential school
system and in colonialism. He owes that to Canada's
indigenous peoples, he owes that to the wider public here to
fully address those past wrongs and to set a path forward.
I will not be supporting this motion today. I will continue to
stand in the House and represent my constituents and their
far more pressing needs."
~Alistair MacGregor, Politician and Tree Planter
monarchist. I am pretty laissez-faire about
our relationship with the monarchy. It does
not bother me in my day-to-day workings,
not only as a citizen of our country but also
as a member of Parliament. In my humble
opinion, monarchs can truly be above
politics. They do not have any political
affiliations. In fact, if the King were to
meddle in domestic politics, that would be
seen as highly inappropriate and would probably result in a
constitutional crisis.
It is important to realize that our oath to the King, to the
heirs and successors of the King, is not to an individual
person; it is rather to that person as an embodiment of the
Crown as an institution. It is a symbol of the Canadian state,
a ship that continues to sail on despite the occasional
changing of its captains. The monarch's continual rule
provides legislative and policy consistency over long periods
of time. Governments come and go but the Crown remains.
Canada is not alone in this. Constitutional monarchies in
western Europe include the United Kingdom, Denmark,
Spain, Norway, the Netherlands, Monaco, Belgium,
Luxembourg and Sweden, countries we would all uphold as
successful, with strong social foundations, strong democratic
participation and, in many cases, serving as models for what
Canada could aspire to be. Asia, Japan and Thailand are
also constitutional monarchies as well.
When we are talking about the institution of Parliament, and
this is what I like to talk to my students in my riding about,
because we often talk about Parliament and the House of
Commons interchangeability, Parliament means the House,
the Senate and the Crown, which is represented by our
Governor General, all three constituent parts that are
required to pass a bill into law. No bill could become a law
without any of those bodies playing an important role.
I also want to address the need for the monarchy to address
past injustices. I may be saying that the monarchy is okay to
stay in Canada, but that does not mean it cannot and must
not change with the times in which we find ourselves. Many
people around the world have a very troubled history and
relationship with the British Crown. It has to confront and
deal with legacies of colonialism, of slavery and, particularly
in Canada, the treatment of indigenous people and
residential schools.
His Majesty King Charles III has an unparalleled
opportunity to move the monarchy forward in a way that is
acceptable and more relevant to today's generation. As a
king, he has the opportunity to go further than his
predecessors, to truly understand the 21st century in which
we find ourselves. It is my sincere hope that in his first visit
to Canada, he takes the time to meet with indigenous elders
to truly understand the Crown's role in the residential school
system and in colonialism. He owes that to Canada's
indigenous peoples, he owes that to the wider public here to
fully address those past wrongs and to set a path forward.
I will not be supporting this motion today. I will continue to
stand in the House and represent my constituents and their
far more pressing needs."
~Alistair MacGregor, Politician and Tree Planter
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