Democratic Head Campaign – Democracy Watch

Currently, a member of the British Royal family inherits the position of Canada’s Head of State – represented by the Governor General, and in the provinces by the Lieutenant Governors.

More than 15 million adult Canadians (and likely their kids as well), a clear majority, want to retire the monarchy and change to a democratically chosen Canadian Governor General and Lieutenant Governors. Many more, about 23 million adult Canadians (84% of voters), want clear, written, enforceable rules (as most countries have) to stop the abuse of powers by the Prime Minister and premiers — abuses that the appointed Governor General, and provincial Lieutenant Governors, have been unable to stop in recent decades.

These changes can be made easily by the federal government alone, and by each provincial government alone, without needing any agreement by all Canadian governments to change Canada’s Constitution (See details below).

Please send your letter calling for these key changes to ensure a democratically chosen Governor General and Lieutenant Governors, with clear powers to enforce clear, written rules to stop abuses by the Prime Minister and premiers.

Please send your letter now using the form on this page, and please help spread the word by Liking and Tweeting this page.

See Media Release (July 6, 2021): Final choice of Governor General should have been by all federal party leaders or, even better all party leaders across Canada

See Media Release (May 26, 2021): Shortlist of candidates for next Governor General should be reviewed by all federal party leaders or, even better all leaders across Canada

See Media Release (January 22, 2021): Next Governor General should be chosen through democratic, multi-partisan, Canadianized process

See Media Release (September 28, 2016): Governor General supports writing down Canada’s unwritten constitutional conventions as Britain, Australia and New Zealand have

The Opportunity

A survey of 1,601 Canadians in February 2021 found that 91% of people surveyed, of all types and from all political parties, support changing from the current system where the Prime Minister alone chooses the Governor General to having a committee of MPs choose the Governor General.

A survey of more than 2,000 Canadians by Harris-Decima in May 2012 showed that 65% of adult Canadians want the Governor General and Lieutenant Governors to have clear powers and to be elected. As well, a survey of more than 2,000 Canadians by Harris-Decima in November-December 2012 showed that 84% of adult Canadians want enforceable rules to restrict key powers of the Prime Minister and provincial premiers.

A survey of more than 2,000 Canadians conducted by Harris-Decima in February 2013 found that a majority of Canadians (55%) want to change to a democratically chosen Canadian Head of State, while only 34% want to continue with a member of the British royal family.

This means more than 15 million adult Canadians (and likely their kids as well) want to retire the monarchy and change to a democratically chosen Canadian head of state, and about 23 million adult Canadians (and also likely their kids) want clear rules to stop abuses by the Prime Minister and premiers.

These key changes to make the Governor General and the Lieutenant Governors democratically chosen, and to give them clear powers, can be made very easily. Most countries in the world made these changes decades ago.

Canada’s Prime Minister currently effectively chooses the Governor General (GG), and the Governor General appoints the provincial Lieutenant Governors (LGs) as advised by the Prime Minister (and often the premiers are also consulted). There are no legal restrictions on how the Prime Minister chooses the GG and the LGs. As a result, the Prime Minister can change the way they are chosen tomorrow, and could use a general election, an election by party leaders across Canada, and within each province, or some other democratic method for choosing the GG and LGs.

Democracy Watch recommends that the GG be chosen by creating a new federal Cabinet appointments agency made up of 5 people chosen with the approval of all federal political party leaders that have members in the House of Commons; then having that agency do a public, advertised, merit-based search to come up with a shortlist of 3 qualified candidates for GG (this agency will also do searches for candidates for all other federal Cabinet appointments); and then having a convention attended by the leaders of every party that has members in any federal, provincial or territorial legislature, and with the GG approved by two-thirds of the leaders. This will result in a representative, non-partisan, qualified GG being chosen every time.

Democracy Watch recommends that each provincial LG be chosen by having a similar provincial Cabinet appointments agency created (if it does not already exist); have that agency do the search and come up with a shortlist of candidates, and; then require all the leaders of every party that has members in the legislature agree on the choice of LG. This will also result in a representative, non-partisan, qualified LG being selected for every province every time.

As well, while Canada’s Constitution says that the GG is the representative of the Queen, it does not say that the Queen has to approve the person the Prime Minister chooses as GG. The Prime Minister traditionally asks for the Queen’s approval, but there is no legal requirement that the Prime Minister do this, or that the Queen gives her approval. As a result, the Prime Minister can simply stop requesting the approval of the Queen, and if the Queen accepts this as the new GG appointment process it will become the new, Canadian tradition.

As for setting out clear rules for the GG and LGs to enforce, this can be done very easily by the federal Parliament, and each provincial legislature, simply passing a resolution or law containing rules to restrict abuses of power by the Prime Minister and premiers. The rules should cover the following key areas: when the legislature must be opened; when it can be closed; what a vote of confidence/non-confidence is; what can be included in omnibus bills; the freedom and powers of individual politicians to vote how they want on resolutions and bills; how members of legislature committees are chosen; when elections are held; what a Cabinet can do during an election campaign period until the next Cabinet is chosen.

Background

Of the 54 countries in the Commonwealth association of countries, 33 countries have retired the British Royal family as their head of state – they still have their historical ties to Britain but they have all grown up and are fully independent now – standing on their own two feet with all their own government institutions.

A country’s Head of State is the person with the ultimate power to make key decisions about how government operates, and to represent the country. Canada’s Head of State is currently Queen Elizabeth, with the Governor General (and in the provinces the Lieutenant Governors) representing her in Canada.

Because Canada’s Head of State, and the provincial Lieutenant Governors, represent the British Royal family and are not democratically chosen, they have no legitimacy to stop the Prime Minister or provincial premiers from abusing their powers (as many of them have in recent years by shutting down parliament, or refusing to open parliament after an election etc.).

Most countries in the world have clear, written rules that are enforceable and that ensure their President or Prime Minister cannot abuse powers and has to respect the will of the legislature, including Britain, Australia and New Zealand (to see details about these 3 countries, click here).

Limiting who can be Canada’s Head of State to the children of one family in a foreign country is unfair, and undemocratic. Canada should not have an aristocracy — we are a democracy!

Having a member of the British Royal family as Canada’s head of state is also divisive. Canada is not British only — it is a collective of most of the races and ethnicities in the world united by a desire for freedom, democracy, peace, fairness and opportunity.

We are Canadians, and Canada is moving toward its 150th birthday. It’s time to grow up and become our own, fully democratic country.

Canada’s Governor General, and provincial Lieutenant Governors, need to be modernized – we need Canadians selected democratically to represent all voters, and clearly empowered to ensure democratic government, as a large majority of Canadians want.

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER calling for these key changes to ensure a democratically chosen Governor General and Lieutenant Governors, with clear powers to enforce clear, written rules to stop abuses by the Prime Minister and premiers.

Send your letter now using the form on this page, and please spread the word by Liking, Sharing, and tweeting this page.

Send your letter now calling for a democratically chosen Governor General and provincial Lieutenant Governors, and clear rules they can enforce to stop abuses by the Prime Minister and Premiers!

Enter your details:

Message Subject (Please change as you like)

Your Message (Please change as you like)

Hello,

I am writing to call on you to make changes to make the Governor General and Lieutenant Governors democratically chosen, and to pass clear rules they can enforce to stop abuses by the Prime Minister and premiers.

Democracy Watch recommends that each provincial LG be chosen by having a similar provincial Cabinet appointments agency created (if it does not already exist); have that agency do the search and come up with a shortlist of candidates, and; then require that all the leaders of every party that have members in the legislature agree on the choice of LG. This will also result in a representative, non-partisan, qualified LG being selected for every province every time.

As well, while Canada’s Constitution says that the GG is the representative of the Queen, it does not say that the Queen has to approve the person the Prime Minister chooses as GG. The Prime Minister traditionally asks for the Queen’s approval, but there is no legal requirement that the Prime Minister do this, or that the Queen gives her approval. As a result, the Prime Minister should simply stop requesting the approval of the Queen, as very likely the Queen will accept this as the new GG appointment process and it will become the new, fully Canadian way of selecting Canada’s GG.

As for setting out clear rules for the GG and LGs to enforce, this can be done very easily by the federal Parliament, and each provincial legislature, simply passing a resolution or law containing rules to restrict abuses of power by the Prime Minister and premiers (as the British, Australian and New Zealand legislatures have already done). The rules should cover the following key areas: when the legislature must be opened; when it can be closed; what a vote of confidence/non-confidence is; what can be included in omnibus bills; the freedoms and powers of individual politicians to vote how they want on resolutions and bills; how members of legislature committees are chosen; when elections are held; what a Cabinet can do during an election campaign period until the next Cabinet is chosen etc.

I will be deciding which political party to vote for in the next election based on the responses I receive from representatives in each party. I look forward to hearing from you.

Hello,
I am writing to call on you to make changes to make the Governor General and Lieutenant Governors democratically chosen, and to pass clear rules they can enforce to stop abuses by the Prime Minister and premiers.
A survey of more than 2,000 Canadians by Harris-Decima in May 2012 showed that 65% of adult Canadians want the Governor General and Lieutenant Governors to have clear powers and to be elected. As well, a survey of more than 2,000 Canadians by Harris-Decima in November-December 2012 showed that 84% of adult Canadians want enforceable rules to restrict key powers of the Prime Minister and provincial premiers.
A survey of more than 2,000 Canadians conducted by Harris-Decima in February 2013 found that a majority of Canadians (55%) want to change to a democratically chosen Canadian Head of State, while only 34% want to continue with a member of the British royal family.
This means more than 15 million adult Canadians (and likely their kids as well) want to retire the monarchy and change to a democratically chosen Canadian head of state, and about 23 million adult Canadians (and also likely their kids) want clear rules to stop abuses by the Prime Minister and premiers.
These key changes to make the Governor General and the Lieutenant Governors democratically chosen, and to give them clear powers, can be made very easily. Most countries in the world made these changes decades ago.
Canada’s Prime Minister currently effectively chooses the Governor General (GG), and the Governor General appoints the provincial Lieutenant Governors (LGs) as advised by the Prime Minister (and often the premiers are also consulted). There are no legal restrictions on how the Prime Minister chooses the GG and the LGs. As a result, the Prime Minister can change the way they are chosen tomorrow, and could use a general election, an election by party leaders across Canada, and within each province, or some other democratic method for choosing the GG and LGs.
Democracy Watch recommends that the GG be chosen by creating a new federal Cabinet appointments agency made up of 5 people chosen with the approval of all federal political party leaders that have members in the House of Commons; then having that agency do a public, advertised, merit-based search to come up with a shortlist of 3 qualified candidates for GG (this agency will also do searches for candidates for all other federal Cabinet appointments); and then having a convention attended by the leaders of every party that has members in any federal, provincial or territorial legislature, and with the GG approved by two-thirds of the leaders. This will result in a representative, non-partisan, qualified GG being chosen every time.
Democracy Watch recommends that each provincial LG be chosen by having a similar provincial Cabinet appointments agency created (if it does not already exist); have that agency do the search and come up with a shortlist of candidates, and; then require that all the leaders of every party that have members in the legislature agree on the choice of LG. This will also result in a representative, non-partisan, qualified LG being selected for every province every time.
As well, while Canada’s Constitution says that the GG is the representative of the Queen, it does not say that the Queen has to approve the person the Prime Minister chooses as GG. The Prime Minister traditionally asks for the Queen’s approval, but there is no legal requirement that the Prime Minister do this, or that the Queen gives her approval. As a result, the Prime Minister should simply stop requesting the approval of the Queen, as very likely the Queen will accept this as the new GG appointment process and it will become the new, fully Canadian way of selecting Canada’s GG.
As for setting out clear rules for the GG and LGs to enforce, this can be done very easily by the federal Parliament, and each provincial legislature, simply passing a resolution or law containing rules to restrict abuses of power by the Prime Minister and premiers (as the British, Australian and New Zealand legislatures have already done). The rules should cover the following key areas: when the legislature must be opened; when it can be closed; what a vote of confidence/non-confidence is; what can be included in omnibus bills; the freedoms and powers of individual politicians to vote how they want on resolutions and bills; how members of legislature committees are chosen; when elections are held; what a Cabinet can do during an election campaign period until the next Cabinet is chosen etc.
Canada’s Governor General, and provincial Lieutenant Governors, need to be modernized – we need Canadians selected democratically to represent all voters, and clearly empowered to ensure democratic government, as a large majority of Canadians want.
I will be deciding which political party to vote for in the next election based on the responses I receive from representatives in each party. I look forward to hearing from you.

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The Opportunity

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