Members of Parliament and senators may be able to dodge the centuries-old oath of allegiance to King Charles if a Liberal MP gets his pending private member’s bill passed.
Canadian monarchists say the bill is republicanism by stealth — part of a larger effort to slowly chip away at the Crown’s standing in Canada without actually scrapping the monarchy through a protracted constitutional fight with the provinces.
Canada’s republicans, meanwhile, are welcoming the bill as a necessary first step toward ridding the country of what they maintain is an outdated institution.
Section 128 of the Constitution demands that every newly elected or appointed parliamentarian swear that they will “be faithful and bear true allegiance” to the reigning monarch.
Under Canada’s founding document, a member cannot legally assume his or her seat in Parliament until they’ve taken the oath to the sovereign.
The monarch listed in the one-line oath is Queen Victoria, but the oath includes a line stating that the actual name will change from “time to time.”
Bill C-347, introduced by New Brunswick Liberal MP René Arseneault, would upend that tradition by allowing federal politicians to swear an “oath of office.”
That stripped-down oath would simply state that an office holder will carry out their duties “in the best interest of Canada while upholding its Constitution.”
Arseneault did not make himself available for an interview with CBC News.
King Charles’s deep ties to Canada
Britain’s new monarch King Charles has deep ties to Canada, forging connections with some Canadians through his charitable work and outreach during his many visits to the country.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said repeatedly that now is not the time to debate the monarchy’s role in Canada.
Trudeau has praised King Charles as a man “deeply aligned” with Canadian values, such as the fight against climate change and the pursuit of Indigenous reconciliation.
A spokesperson for Justice Minister Arif Virani said the government “will have more to say about this private member’s bill when it comes up for debate.” That will happen when Parliament returns later this month.
Arseneault has found a supporter in Pierre Vincent, a man with a long history of royal oath opposition.
King Charles visits the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Dec. 14, 2023. (Hannah McKay/The Associated Press)
Vincent, a former federal public servant and a member of Citizens for a Canadian Republic, challenged a similar requirement that bureaucrats swear allegiance to the sovereign.
Vincent, an Acadian, said he didn’t want the monarch’s name crossing his lips given the British role in the 18th century expulsion of his French-speaking ancestors from what’s now Atlantic Canada.
‘Colonial, medieval stuff’
“They gave me an ultimatum,” he said of the public service top brass. “They told me to take the oath or you’re fired and I told them, ‘Nope!'”
After a years-long battle, Vincent won and the oath was quietly dropped for bureaucrats.
Now, he wants parliamentarians to break with the past.
“Why are we still doing this colonial, medieval stuff that does not coincide with our modern views of diversity and inclusion? I mean, it’s ridiculous. It makes no sense,” Vincent told CBC News.
“You know, sacrificing virgins used to be a tradition in Mexico. They’ve dumped that. A tradition itself is not a good reason to be doing things like this, to be violating free speech.”
He said republicans are “foolishly” trying to dismantle Canada’s Westminster system of government, a parliamentary structure that has served the country well for more than 150 years.
He said Canada’s longstanding link to the Crown, an institution above the whims of partisan politics, is something to celebrate.
King Charles sits with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as he receives realm prime ministers in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace in London on Sept. 17, 2022. (Stefan Rousseau/The Associated Press)
The Governor General, the King’s representative in Canada, is a check on political power — ensuring the prime minister commands the confidence of the House of Commons, Fraser said.
“We live in a constitutional Crown system and trying to break it up piecemeal is not a good way to run a country,” Fraser told CBC News.
“If the government of the day feels that it’s time for us to seriously consider becoming a republic, they should draft a referendum and present it to the people. But they also need a backup plan to replace it.”
King Charles won’t be known as ‘defender of the faith.’ Does it matter?
King Charles will have a new title in Canada now that the government has dropped “defender of the faith” — part of a push to redefine the head of state’s role.
Republicans have not settled on a viable alternative to the current system, Fraser said.
Would Canada adopt an appointed or elected presidential system? Would there be any difference between the head of state and the head of government, as there is now?
“Doing away with the oath — it’s all based on emotionalism,” Fraser said. “I don’t think we should marginalize something that is an integral part of our system of government. Look at how republics are faring right now. Look to the south, the U.S. Do we want that here?”
The Monarchist League of Canada has launched a letter-writing campaign, directing its members to ask MPs to quash the bill.
The group calls the legislation an effort to “promote republicanism via the well-cloaked back door.”
Neither camp has public opinion squarely on its side. Polls suggest country is split up the middle on whether it’s time to cut ties with the Crown.
There are also doubts about whether dropping the oath could be accomplished through legislation alone.
In the Supreme Court of Canada’s 2014 Senate reference, the justices affirmed that changes to “the office of the Queen, the Governor General and the Lieutenant Governor of a province” require the unanimous consent of the House of Commons, the Senate and all provincial legislatures.
Unanimity gives all partners in Canada “a veto on those topics that are considered the most essential to the survival of the state,” the court ruled.
There is a section of the Constitution that gives Parliament power over itself — but the court ruled there are limits to that power.
Barbara Messamore is a professor of history at the University of the Fraser Valley and an expert on the Crown in Canada.
She said dropping the oath actually would be a “profound change by stealth” to Canada’s system.
“This bill is being smuggled in under the guise of something that’s not very significant. And I would suggest to you that it is pretty significant,” she told CBC News. “I would never downplay an oath. It’s a promise.
“It’s not just about a personal allegiance to Charles. It’s about your allegiance to Canada’s Constitution, Canada’s people, Canada’s system of government. It’s not about the personal popularity of the sovereign — it’s about an allegiance to a broader system.”
People from the Monarchist League of Canada hold a massive Canadian flag and place flowers for former monarchs as they prepare to attend the coronation of King Charles in London on Friday, May 5, 2023. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)
Messamore said that if the bill passes, it could end up before the courts, where judges could decide whether Parliament can enact such a change unilaterally.
“The monarchy is at the heart of our Constitution in all sorts of ways. The whole parliamentary system is organized around it. I think that it naturally flows that any oath made by parliamentarians would have to include an allegiance to the Crown,” she said.
Moe is set to speak in the city of Yorkton about affordability measures this morning before travelling to the nearby village of Theodore for an event with the local Saskatchewan Party candidate.
NDP Leader Carla Beck doesn’t have any events scheduled, though several party candidates are to hold press conferences.
On Thursday, Moe promised a directive banning “biological boys” from using school changing rooms with “biological girls” if re-elected.
The NDP said the Saskatchewan Party was punching down on vulnerable children.
Election day is Oct. 28.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2024.
REGINA – Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe is promising a directive banning “biological boys” from using school changing rooms with “biological girls” if re-elected, a move the NDP’s Carla Beck says weaponizes vulnerable kids.
Moe made the pledge Thursday at a campaign stop in Regina. He said it was in response to a complaint that two biological males had changed for gym class with girls at a school in southeast Saskatchewan.
He said the ban would be his first order of business if he’s voted again as premier on Oct. 28.
It was not previously included in his party’s campaign platform document.
“I’ll be very clear, there will be a directive that would come from the minister of education that would say that biological boys will not be in the change room with biological girls,” Moe said.
He added school divisions should already have change room policies, but a provincial directive would ensure all have the rule in place.
Asked about the rights of gender-diverse youth, Moe said other children also have rights.
“What about the rights of all the other girls that are changing in that very change room? They have rights as well,” he said, followed by cheers and claps.
The complaint was made at a school with the Prairie Valley School Division. The division said in a statement it doesn’t comment on specific situations that could jeopardize student privacy and safety.
“We believe all students should have the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe and welcoming learning environment,” it said.
“Our policies and procedures align with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.”
Asked about Moe’s proposal, Beck said it would make vulnerable kids more vulnerable.
Moe is desperate to stoke fear and division after having a bad night during Wednesday’s televised leaders’ debate, she said.
“Saskatchewan people, when we’re at our best, are people that come together and deliver results, not divisive, ugly politics like we’ve seen time and again from Scott Moe and the Sask. Party,” Beck said.
“If you see leaders holding so much power choosing to punch down on vulnerable kids, that tells you everything you need to know about them.”
Beck said voters have more pressing education issues on their minds, including the need for smaller classrooms, more teaching staff and increased supports for students.
People also want better health care and to be able to afford gas and groceries, she added.
“We don’t have to agree to understand Saskatchewan people deserve better,” Beck said.
The Saskatchewan Party government passed legislation last year that requires parents consent to children under 16 using different names or pronouns at school.
The law has faced backlash from some LGBTQ+ advocates, who argue it violates Charter rights and could cause teachers to out or misgender children.
Beck has said if elected her party would repeal that legislation.
Heather Kuttai, a former commissioner with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission who resigned last year in protest of the law, said Moe is trying to sway right-wing voters.
She said a change room directive would put more pressure on teachers who already don’t have enough educational support.
“It sounds like desperation to me,” she said.
“It sounds like Scott Moe is nervous about the election and is turning to homophobic and transphobic rhetoric to appeal to far-right voters.
“It’s divisive politics, which is a shame.”
She said she worries about the future of gender-affirming care in a province that once led in human rights.
“We’re the kind of people who dig each other out of snowbanks and not spew hatred about each other,” she said. “At least that’s what I want to still believe.”
Also Thursday, two former Saskatchewan Party government members announced they’re endorsing Beck — Mark Docherty, who retired last year and was a Speaker, and Glen Hart, who retired in 2020.
Ian Hanna, a speech writer and senior political adviser to former Saskatchewan Party premier Brad Wall, also endorsed Beck.
Earlier in the campaign, Beck received support from former Speaker Randy Weekes, who quit the Saskatchewan Party earlier this year after accusing caucus members of bullying.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
REGINA – Saskatchewan‘s provincial election is on Oct. 28. Here’s a look at some of the campaign promises made by the two major parties:
Saskatchewan Party
— Continue withholding federal carbon levy payments to Ottawa on natural gas until the end of 2025.
— Reduce personal income tax rates over four years; a family of four would save $3,400.
— Double the Active Families Benefit to $300 per child per year and the benefit for children with disabilities to $400 a year.
— Direct all school divisions to ban “biological boys” from girls’ change rooms in schools.
— Increase the First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit to $15,000 from $10,000.
— Reintroduce the Home Renovation Tax Credit, allowing homeowners to claim up to $4,000 in renovation costs on their income taxes; seniors could claim up to $5,000.
— Extend coverage for insulin pumps and diabetes supplies to seniors and young adults
— Provide a 50 per cent refundable tax credit — up to $10,000 — to help cover the cost of a first fertility treatment.
— Hire 100 new municipal officers and 70 more officers with the Saskatchewan Marshals Service.
— Amend legislation to provide police with more authority to address intoxication, vandalism and disturbances on public property.
— Platform cost of $1.2 billion, with deficits in the first three years and a small surplus in 2027.
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NDP
— Pause the 15-cent-a-litre gas tax for six months, saving an average family about $350.
— Remove the provincial sales tax from children’s clothes and ready-to-eat grocery items like rotisserie chickens and granola bars.
— Pass legislation to limit how often and how much landlords can raise rent.
— Repeal the law that requires parental consent when children under 16 want to change their names or pronouns at school.
— Launch a provincewide school nutrition program.
— Build more schools and reduce classroom sizes.
— Hire 800 front-line health-care workers in areas most in need.
— Launch an accountability commission to investigate cost overruns for government projects.
— Scrap the marshals service.
— Hire 100 Mounties and expand detox services.
— Platform cost of $3.5 billion, with small deficits in the first three years and a small surplus in the fourth year.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct .17, 2024.
