Opinion | I voted for Mark Carney hoping he’d lead a strong, sovereign Canada. This first big gesture is not what I had in mind. By Janice Kennedy.
Nothing says “strong sovereign nation” like a foreign figurehead presiding over a government’s launch party.
But there it is. Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited King Charles III to deliver the new Parliament’s throne speech. Apparently, the honour of the monarch’s attendance sends a message about Canadian sovereignty.
Read the Opinion Piece using the links below.
- Toronto Star [LINK]
- Toronto Star [PDF]
I fully agree. The idea that our country will assert its sovereignty by inviting a foreign monarch to deliver a speech is, frankly, preposterous. It reflects a fundamentally flawed understanding of national sovereignty and political independence, especially at a time when Canadian sovereignty is being openly challenged by our “closest partner”, and the evolving international system offers new opportunities to expand and diversify our geopolitical, cultural, and economic horizons. Therefore, on a foreign policy level, the message this sends is deeply problematic. This decision by Mark Carney and the incoming government highlights how much further Canada still has to go in terms of constitutional, political, and cultural maturation. I am firmly convinced that establishing a republic is the only way to strengthen our national and constitutional unity while affirming genuine national self-determination. It would allow us to fully acknowledge and embrace the diversity that has shaped Canadian society from the start and begin addressing the divisions that have left us a fragmented nation, a nation of cultural solitudes.