Monarchy in Canada - Debate

Debate

To date, outside of academic circles, there has been little national debate on the Canadian monarchy, a subject about which most Canadians are generally unaware. Out of Canada's three most prominent political parties, neither the Liberal Party nor the Conservative Party is officially in favour of abolishing the monarchy (though the latter makes support for constitutional monarchy a founding principle in its policy declaration) and the New Democratic Party (NDP) has no official position on the role of the Crown. Only some Members of Parliament belonging to these parties and the leaders of the Bloc Québécois have made any statements suggesting abolition of the monarchy. Canada has two special-interest groups representing the debate, who frequently argue the issue in the media: the Monarchist League of Canada and Citizens for a Canadian Republic. There are also other organizations that support and advocate the monarchy, such as the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada, the Canadian Royal Heritage Trust, the Orange Order in Canada, and the Friends of the Canadian Crown.

The idea of a uniquely Canadian monarch has been proffered as an alternative, either one descended from the present queen or coming from a First Nations royal house; however, there has been no popular or official support for such a change.