There is no need to dump the Queen

I risk wading into the never-ending, swampy, pointless debate about the relevance of the monarchy in Canada because Bob Hepburn’s op-ed piece (Dec. 6) deserves a response.

Some questions needs to be asked. How is our link to the monarchy not working for us? What does it cost us? How often has the Queen meddled in Canadian affairs to our detriment?

The answers are: There is no evidence that having a constitutional monarchy as a system of government is ineffective or worse. In fact, there is a strong argument to the contrary. Canada sends no money to Buckingham Palace for the symbolic services of the monarch. The cost of the odd Royal visit amounts to less than $10 per capita, far outweighed by the almost universal enjoyment of the ceremony. The answer to the third question is … never.

Instead of examining such practical questions, critics of the monarchy like Mr. Hepburn offer the tired old trope that it’s “time” to dump the Queen. Why? Because another country has done so? Hopping on a bandwagon does not a persuasive argument make.

Assuming that these critics hope Canada keeps its status as a democracy, what are they proposing? Appointing our own head of state as opposed to the British monarch? We already do that with our Governor General who, last I heard, doesn’t take marching orders from the Queen. We have long ceased functioning like a colony as seems to be implied. Becoming a republic, after a divisive national debate and a painful run at amending our constitution? Are Canadians really up for this when there are more serious issues that need our energy and the attention of Parliament? Especially when you consider that what ain’t broke doesn’t need fixing while many other things are and do.

Taking a look at history gives us compelling reasons to maintain the system we have. The longest, most stable and most prosperous democracies in the world are constitutional monarchies; Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England and Belgium, to name a few. The least stable are republics, some of which like Spain reverted to a constitutional monarchy after a failed experiment as a republic.

In fact, all republics ultimately struggle and most fail. The longest living one south of our border is on the brink. All it takes in one incompetent, unprincipled, self-serving executive with unlimited power. Other countries such as Turkey, Brazil, Hungary and Poland seem to be heading in the same direction. I suggest it’s a frivolous issue not based in real practical concerns.

Under our system of government as currently constituted, Canada is not suffering but in fact thriving and enjoying stability as a democracy in a world that I overheard recently has “lost its marbles.”