Why is Canada still a constitutional monarchy?

[KrazyHorse]

Chrétien isn't our head of state.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by DinoDoc


And it has such great power for what reason?

I was talking about your government.

[ravagon]

Originally posted by Asher
What's 100M here, 100M there? It's all small beans.

Go figure that the current government "misplaced" $1B in funds, "accidentally" transfered $4B extra funds to various provinces (Quebec got several billion extra, IIRC, which is not surprising considering where Chretien is from...)

Bah. That's nothing. The Australian government recently revealed that they'd lost several billion dollars (Aussie dollars of course so not that much in global terms ) on speculating on their own currency...
Now there's brains for you ...

[Asher]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
She's Queen of Canada whether or not she's here. She's Queen of Scotland and Wales and N. Ireland and Australia and N. Zealand etc. all at the same time. Monuments to the monarchy in Canada are Canadian monuments by default.

KH, apparently you don't understand.

I don't consider her my Queen. She's Queen by mere technicalities, that doesn't count.

That's my whole argument here. You're saying we should keep the Queen because she's our Queen and it "only" costs $100M or so. I'm here saying she's not our Queen because she doesn't give a damn about us, can't do anythign to us, and costs us a whopping $100M or so to do nothing.

[Asher]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Chrétien isn't our head of state.

But he WOULD be if we ditched the monarchy tie. Follow along, KH...

[KrazyHorse]

The major question here is obviously one of sentiment, Asher. There's no arguing you out of your feelings towards the monarchy, and the most recent polls show that the majority of Canadians are in favour of the monarchy. In such an irrational type of decision (either way), public feeling is all that counts.

[Asher]

Grrr, the whole of Canada needs to smacking.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
I was talking about your government.

Our government doesn't own ever square inch of the US and this is the second thread that you've mentioned that the Canadian government "owning" all of Canada. I was merely curious why the Canadian people have granted thier government such powers.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Asher
I'm here saying she's not our Queen because she doesn't give a damn about us, can't do anythign to us, and costs us a whopping $100M or so to do nothing.

But the offices of the G-G and L-Gs, representing the Queen, does provide a theorectical check and balance, on the Canadian political system.

The G-Gs and L-Gs can call an election at anytime, even if the ruling party doesn't want one. That hasn't happened in Canada, but IIRC it has happened in Australia.

I believe the G-G in theory can also refuse to sign a bill.

While these are theorectical checks, they checks on parliaments power nonetheless.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Tingkai
But the offices of the G-G and L-Gs, representing the Queen, does provide a theorectical check and balance, on the Canadian political system.

The G-Gs and L-Gs can call an election at anytime, even if the ruling party doesn't want one. That hasn't happened in Canada, but IIRC it has happened in Australia.

I believe the G-G in theory can also refuse to sign a bill.

While these are theorectical checks, they checks on parliaments power nonetheless.

Nonsense.
The last time the G-G tried to exercise power there was such an uproar that you might as well have kicked the King in the nads.

He can't do anything. At all. Theoretical means nothing when in the real world he'd be booed and ignored.

[Alexander's Horse]

Come on, you guys must be looking forward to King Charles as much as we are here in Australia

[Asher]

This reminds me...

At the same time, we must reform the senate.

Right now the Canadian senate is completely useless. We pay the 105 senators big salaries so they can vacation in Mexico most of the year (true story), and they have the power to delay bills by 90 days. Booyah! More wastes of money!

Somebody needs to get into the federal government who understands that money isn't free and if we're going to be paying high taxes we'd better see something for it.

[Jon Miller]

Re: This reminds me...

Originally posted by Asher
At the same time, we must reform the senate.

Right now the Canadian senate is completely useless. We pay the 105 senators big salaries so they can vacation in Mexico most of the year (true story), and they have the power to delay bills by 90 days. Booyah! More wastes of money!

Somebody needs to get into the federal government who understands that money isn't free and if we're going to be paying high taxes we'd better see something for it.

I agree with you on the Senate (I of course being an american), but don't see why the monarchy as it is now is a big deal

Jon Miller

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by DinoDoc


Our government doesn't own ever square inch of the US and this is the second thread that you've mentioned that the Canadian government "owning" all of Canada. I was merely curious why the Canadian people have granted thier government such powers.

Your government does, in the final analysis, own every square inch of land in the US, every single trinket contained therein and every person in it.

I thought you knew your Macchiavelli?

[Asher]

Interesting site on the current state of Canadian Politics:

http://www.islandnet.com/~luree/politics.html

Another thing about the Canadian senate for which many people don't know:
The Prime Minister appoints whoever he wants to the senate to represent any certain province that requires a senator. Which mean his cronies get appointed. Not only this, but they're in the senate until they die or become 75 years old (or is it 85?).

Recently, Alberta voted for a senator replacement for one retiring. Naturally, you'd think Chretien would simply appoint the people Alberta had voted for. But no, he appointed someone completely different. Someone with rather liberal views, too...