Canada to firmly re-assess its status as a British colony

[HVC]

G. W. Bush would be a great head of state with no power.  He is a natural upper class Texan who loves golf and shaking hands and giving tearful speaches all that.  What he sucked at was, you know, actually governing which is why he was a fine Texas Governor but a shitty President.  The Queen of Canada is not comparable to the President of the United States.  Your actual leader is the Prime Minister.  The Queen is as relevent to the governance of Canada as the Bald Eagle is to the governance of the US.

True, the head of state position are totally different.  One is mostly symbolic, the other hold real power.  But Bush could easily made diplomatic blunder.  Or he could generate hostility from foreign countries, for various reason.  Or he could go borderline senile and you'd still be stuck with him receiving foreign dignataries.

We should just vote for the PM directly and have him as head of state&government.  With some minor adjustments, it could work.

No - we'd still need someone in the position as head of state.  Remember it was only a few years ago when the GG was actually in an important position regarding whether or not to prorogue Parliament.

and she made the wrong choice. you're not winning the arguement to not get rid of a figurehead

[Barrister]

No - we'd still need someone in the position as head of state.  Remember it was only a few years ago when the GG was actually in an important position regarding whether or not to prorogue Parliament.

The GG really had no power.  Had the Prime Minister felt she wouldn't side with him, he would have replaced her immediatly with someone more inclined to his views, then he would have asked to prorogue the Parliament.
The GG would have had to agree or make a stand and create chaos.  She would have folded.

Really, the Governor does not hold any kind of power.  It can't even govern by decree in the case of a disbanded government, unlike the cabinet.
It could, theoritically, refuse to sign a bill.
In practice, the Cabinet would remove the Governor General and replace it with someone else.

The PM has absolutely no ability to fire the GG.  And there is historical precedent for the GG refusing a PM's request - the infamous King-Byng affair.

[HVC]

The PM has absolutely no ability to fire the GG.  And there is historical precedent for the GG refusing a PM's request - the infamous King-Byng affair.

i read that as burger - king affair. carry on.

[Barrister]

No - we'd still need someone in the position as head of state.  Remember it was only a few years ago when the GG was actually in an important position regarding whether or not to prorogue Parliament.

The GG really had no power.  Had the Prime Minister felt she wouldn't side with him, he would have replaced her immediatly with someone more inclined to his views, then he would have asked to prorogue the Parliament.
The GG would have had to agree or make a stand and create chaos.  She would have folded.

Really, the Governor does not hold any kind of power.  It can't even govern by decree in the case of a disbanded government, unlike the cabinet.
It could, theoritically, refuse to sign a bill.
In practice, the Cabinet would remove the Governor General and replace it with someone else.

But you're contradicting yourself when you go on about being ruled by a foreign Queen.

The Queen doesn't rule us - she (and her representative) have no power to rule us.

What the monarch (and the GG) do have is essentially a tie-breaker function when any number of very unlikely scenarios come about after an election, and there's some doubt about who should form government.  In those situations, it is important to have a neutral tie-breaker.  Having that be a hereditary position works just as well as any other system, plus has the benefit of not actually needing to change anything to make it happen.

In Canada we're so allergic to Constitutional change that NOT having to change the constitution is an important consideration.

[crazy canuck]

by that distinction canadians are brits so the queen's cool again

I suppose many still see themselves as the heir to the British Empire.  Disapointing.

Man that would be cool if we inherited the British empire.

[Barrister]

by that distinction canadians are brits so the queen's cool again

I suppose many still see themselves as the heir to the British Empire.  Disapointing.

Man that would be cool if we inherited the British empire.

Owning India and half of Africa?

Pass.

[crazy canuck]

My advice is to come up with a positive alternative that the Canadian people are likely to support in a referendum. It's easy to slag off the constitutional monarchy, it is indeed rather peculiar, but you need to come up with a superior alternative instead of just grumbling.

I am pretty sure the majority of Canadians support the current structure of our Government.  Especially since the Republican model is currently being displayed in a very poor light.  The kind of budgetary standoff you are experiencing cannot occur under our system.  Either the Budget is passed or the government falls.  Simple as that.

[crazy canuck]

Owning India and half of Africa?

Owning India (a larger economy then ours by a long shot) would more than pay for Africa - which we could give away at our leisure.  Its the damn Aussies I would want to jettison asap.

[Grey Fox]

In a Independant Quebec, Lizzy would remain the Head of State anyway.

[Barrister]

In a Independant Quebec, Lizzy would remain the Head of State anyway.

I'm pretty sure if the PQ were to get its way and declare independence(which is unlikely anyways) they'd declare Quebec a Republic.

[derspiess]

As long as Canucks spell like Brits they will be part of the empire/commonwealth/realm/whatever.

[Grey Fox]

In a Independant Quebec, Lizzy would remain the Head of State anyway.

I'm pretty sure if the PQ were to get its way and declare independence(which is unlikely anyways) they'd declare Quebec a Republic.

I don't. The plan back in 95 was to remain in the commonwealth.

[Barrister]

In a Independant Quebec, Lizzy would remain the Head of State anyway.

I'm pretty sure if the PQ were to get its way and declare independence(which is unlikely anyways) they'd declare Quebec a Republic.

I don't. The plan back in 95 was to remain in the commonwealth.

Not all countries in the Commonwealth have the Queen as Head of State.  India, for example.

[crazy canuck]

As long as Canucks spell like Brits they will be part of the empire/commonwealth/realm/whatever.

At some point we had a good thread as to why Yanks became lazy spellers.

[Razgovory]

I don't really see the big beef Viper has.