On December 9, 2022, the National Assembly of Quebec unanimously adopted the Act to recognize the oath provided for by the National Assembly Act as the only obligatory oath to sit there. Entering into force the same day, this legislative text abolished the obligation to take the oath of allegiance to the king provided for by the Constitutional Act of 1867 and the obligation to subscribe to it which deputies had previously had to satisfy in order to be able to sit on the Parliament.
This democratic progress was obtained thanks to the collaboration of all political parties, as well as strong citizen mobilization, led in particular by the Coalition for the Abolition of the Monarchy in Quebec (COPAM-QC). However, we should not confuse this first victory of supporters of the abolition of the monarchy with the final objective, namely the abolition of this archaic political regime in Quebec.
The organization of a first day of study devoted to the British-Canadian monarchy, on Saturday November 25, aims to lay the foundations for a socio-political reflection essential to questioning what constitutes, paradoxically, the one of the foundations of our democracy.
Understanding the nature of the British-Canadian monarchy
Quebecers have the privilege of being able to elect the vast majority of their leaders through free elections at all levels of government: federal, national and municipal. There is, however, a major exception for the institution that is the head of state. Indeed, the person who embodies this institution in the Canadian and Quebec states is chosen by none other than… God.
This is an authentic aberration for the Quebec democratic regime, which aims to be secular, and which the Secularism Act reminds us that it is based on the separation of the State and religions.
Likewise, this foundation of our political regime has its roots in the first days of European colonization in America, and has always been able to adapt to the significant upheavals that marked the political history of New France and North America. British, then Canada. The study day organized by COPAM-QC therefore has the primary objective of increasing understanding of the historical origins of the monarchy in Quebec and Canada, as well as the nature of the political regime it underlies.
The real impact of the monarchy in the 21st century
The other main objective of this study day relates to the need to understand the impact of the British-Canadian monarchical regime on our daily lives, as well as the appreciation of it by the Canadian and Quebec populations. For example, while the fortune of King Charles III is estimated at more than $3 billion, how much does maintaining the monarchy cost taxpayers annually? Are such expenses justified and justifiable when the Quebec state is struggling to fulfill its fundamental missions such as education, health, environmental protection or even support for our culture?
Likewise, contrary to the remarks of the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, regarding the “postnational” nature of Canada, this country is rather a plurinational state, that is to say that it has numerous nations within it, including several indigenous nations. Since the abolition of the monarchy in Quebec and Canada would require an immense pan-Canadian consensus, it is necessary, in the eyes of those responsible for COPAM-QC, to better understand the very special relationship that indigenous nations maintain to this day present on Canadian and Quebec territories with the crown, as well as the state of Quebec and Canadian public opinion with regard to the latter.
Finally, this study day will also be an opportunity, for numerous political groups, to present their proposals which will continue the progress of Quebec and Canada towards a more democratic and modern regime, in which a monarchical institution will be abolished. worthy of another era.
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The nature of the Quebec and Canadian political system is not a daily concern for everyone, moreover in these troubled times marked by a difficult economic reality, not to mention the challenges posed to the State by improving the services offered to the population, or even the seriousness of several international conflicts. However, Quebecers cannot avoid the necessary debate on their political institutions. The nature of the latter, whatever anyone says, has a real and daily effect on them. It is therefore essential to understand them better in order to be able to transform them… for the better.