A Canadian Republic

Canadians have finally started to take more of an interest in their democratic rights. In fact, I keep hearing people on both sides of the coalition argument stating that they're trying to protect our democracy from the other. My question to both sides of the argument is this: What democracy? We live in a country where our senate is completely appointed and the office of the head of state is filled by the reigning King or Queen of the hereditary monarchy in England. Neither the senate or crown promote our democratic rights. In fact, they both hinder it. Our American brothers and sisters broke from the crown over 230 years ago, forming a republic in which legislative and executive positions were filled by elected citizens of their state. It's time that Canada followed the queue of the United States and formed a republic where we elect the entirety of our legislative bodies and are not beholden to a foreign crown.

Unlike prior to and during the American Revolution, republicanism is no longer considered an extreme, revolutionary belief by any standard. The English monarchy has been degraded to the point where the crown acts almost purely as a figurehead as well as a tourist attraction. As a figurehead there is relatively little danger in what this monarch can do, but the problem lies in what this monarchy represents. This monarchy represents a time where dictatorship and tyranny were considered the status quo, where common people lived under the subjugation of a social class which believed it had a god given right to rule. The monarchy represents the dictatorship our ancestors were forced to live under for centuries. We're at a point where the masses are completely capable of governing without the involvement of a figurehead representing a barbaric and tyrannical tradition. We've been at that point for quite a long time, in fact.

Senate reform has been an issue in Canada since the turn of the previous century. The Senate of Canada is based off of the English House of Lords. All members of the senate are appointed rather than elected by the Canadian people. Once appointed a senator can govern until he or she reaches an age of 75. Every party which currently sits in the House of Commons (if the House of Commons were sitting) have expressed an interest in reforming or abolishing the Canadian Senate. The Conservative Party has proposed a solution which limits senators terms to eight years. They also say they want to introduce "direct elections" to the senate appointment process in which Canadians elect senators and the Prime Minister, on his honour will agree to but not be bound to appoint senators based on these election results. In what sense this can be considered a "direct election" I have no idea. It's still a very undemocratic solution. The New Democratic Party has introduced what I believe is the best solution to this problem; the abolition of the senate, leaving us with one legislative body which is elected by the Canadian people.

I for one support the abolition of both the crown and the senate in favour of a more democratic approach to governance. Neither the Conservative approach to senate reform or what we currently have gives us complete freedom to govern ourselves. We need to eliminate all non-elected governing bodies in our country and reform the ones we do have to better represent the will of the people. We need to send a message to the world that dictatorships, even reduced to nothing more than state tradition are not acceptable to free thinking people. A free state should not be afraid to sever its ties to an oppressive past in order to promote the liberty of its people. Canada should not be afraid of becoming a democratic republic.