Too much Masterpiece Theatre at 24 Sussex Dr.? Stephen Harper recently reaffixed Royal to the Canadian Navy and Air Force. The services have gone without this tea-and-crumpets adjective since 1970. History may not repeat, but if youre the prime minister of Canada you can sometimes make it stutter.
Unintentionally or not, Harper reminded us that Canada is a constitutional monarchy and that he swore an oath to our formal head of the state, the monarch of England. In fact, all federal politicians, Supreme Court justices, members of federal and provincial parliaments, as well as of the Canadian forces and the RCMP, all take an Oath of Allegianceto the Queen of Canada, actually.
After the New England colonists won their war of independence in 1776, the British feared the United Empire Loyalists to the north might not remain so loyal themselves. Hence the decision to give the Canuck colonials what they wantedcontrol over their own future.
On July 9, 1919, the colonial administrator Alfred Milner declared that, the United Kingdom and the Dominions are partner nations The only possibility of continuance of the British empire is on a basis of absolute out-and-out equal partnership between the United Kingdom and the Dominions. This diplomatic opinion was enacted into law as the Statute of Westminster in 1931. As a result, our Constitution trumps the blue ribbon inbreeding from across the pondin theory, at least.
However, given Harpers affection for state secrecy and rule by decree, there is plenty of evidence that hes itching to be a monarch himself. Exhibit A: his recent order to federal departments to replace the Government of Canada with the The Harper Government on official stationary.
I understand the attraction of regal privilege and power. No Canadian leader is accorded the budget-busting cult of personality that revolves around the crew from Buckingham Palace. Every few years, the royals drop by to acknowledge the subjects of their bear-infested real estate, netting more security and media attention than a full-on alien invasion.
Some of us see no point in deferring to offshore hereditary rule in the 21st century, while mowing down entire forests to produce Royal Wedding newspaper inserts. Others suspect the overkill is a small price to pay if it advertises Canada as a constitutional monarchy versus the 51st U.S. state (or worse, the prime monsters private fiefdom).
Writer Douglas Coupland once mused that if our nation hasnt been invaded yet by the United States, there must be some reason. Not that troops are necessary. The integration of U.S.-Canadian border services, armed forces and economic regimes are proceeding apace under mutual agreement.
But there may be limits. Perhaps the legendary special relationship enjoyed by the U.S. and Britain precludes outright theft of land and resources belonging to Liz 2 and her kids. Those vast stretches of boreal forest and tundra arent called Crown land for nothing.
Tellingly, John Manley, former major domo of Security and Prosperity Partnership has questioned the need for Canadas pipeline to the Queen. (He didnt elaborate on what hed replace it withpresumably a fresh water pipeline and complaint box.)
Of course, Canadas political allegiance to the U.S. versus Britain is a non-issue to Iraqis, Afghans and others on the receiving end of the Empire. Many of them recognize our nation as a junior partner in the anglophile axis of global financial/military domination. Anything else is window dressing.
On the plus side domestically, Canadians status as subjects of the Queen keeps us from producing royals of our own. Given todays celebrity-mad culture, I fear who might end up swishing around Ottawa with a litter of corgis and a bottomless sense of entitlement. Without archaic connections to our Limey overlords, we might be one Canadian Idol episode away from knighting Justin Bieber, crowning Rob Ford and shipping Steve Fonyo off to Australia in chains.
I cant say I fully comprehend the Empire Strikes Back rebranding of the air force and navy, which corrects a historical mistake, according to Defence Minister Peter Mackay. Is the prime minister a globalist, monarchist, egoist, or all of the above? Im just glad if the guys moves are still contained by some parliamentary niceties and monarchical gibberish. The Harper Government is one thing. His Majesty and All-Powerful Proroguer is another.
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