A head of state could be chosen by indirect election by parliament, as one example. This is similar to the current process, however, in the new process, the Governor-General would be made by provincial or federal legislatures as opposed to being selected by the Prime Minister and then formally appointed by the Queen. Another way to go would be to have the head of state chosen by indirect election by a selection committee of political peers -- like judges, former or sitting federal or provincial politians, academics or other. "This model, a variation of which is practiced by Germany, offers some solace to those who think a president elected by parliament would somehow be indebted or subservient to it" (2010).
Direct election by voters is another way to choose the head of state. Candidates may be selected by provincial legislatures, culminating into a federal election. This kind of system is used in Ireland, a successful example of a former Dominion that changed their Governor-General into an elected presidency (2010). The penultimate option would be similar to South Africa's model of a parliamentary republic where offices of head of state and head of government have been merged. However, there are many politically-minded Canadians who think that the Prime Minister already has way too much authority and because this option would mean a total overhaul to the constitution, this option may be the mot unlikely (2010).
Some wonder if it is possible for Canada to be both a republic and a member of the Commonwealth too. The notion that Canada would have to give up membership in the Commonwealth once it becomes a republic is not accurate, according to Canadian Citizens for a Canadian Republic (2010).
In reality, among the Commonwealth's member- states, most are republics with only sixteen being constitutional monarchies with Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State. & #8230;Canada would still be an active member of the Commonwealth after the change from constitutional monarchy to republic (CCCR 2010).
The bottom line, when it comes to Canada and whether or not it should break free from Great Britain, is about identity. Canada has no reason to identify itself with England any longer. Mackey (2003, 17) notes that Canada has long been viewed as having an identity crisis. Likewise, Hage (1996,...
Mackey (17) suggests that, unlike Australia or South Africa, Canada does, however, have an identity (that may be in crisis), and that identity is not "homogeneous in its whiteness but rather replete with images of Aboriginal people and people of color. The state-sanctioned proliferation of cultural difference…seems to be the defining characteristic of Canada" (17).
Canada must cut its ties with its offshore monarch and a good time to do this would be at the end of Elizabeth II's reign -- if not earlier. This cutting of ties could open up numerous possibilities in Canada, allowing it to reinvent itself; it would be a time of rebirth where Canada, despite whether it is, indeed, going through an "identity crisis" or not, can find an identity that is apart from that of Great Britain. "Saying goodbye to the Queen will represent the very last stage in the long process of decolonization" (Counterweights 2009). Whether Canada will be able to break free of England and the burden of being a part of the Commonwealth remains to be seen, but it is only fear that would keep Canada in this position because, as has been shown, there is reason to end the relationship and switching to a republican model of government is not as challenging as politicians or civilians might imagine. Saying goodbye to tradition is the best action that Canada may take for itself.
References:
1. Appadurai, Samy. Canada: The Meat of the World Sandwich. Authorhouse, 2009.
2. Bridge, Carl., & Fedorawich, Kent. The British World: Diaspora, Culture & Identity.
Routledge, 2003.
3. Cannadine, David. Making History Now and then: Discoveries, Controversies and Explorations. Palgrave MacMillan, 2008.
4. Canadians for a Citizen Republic. 2010. Retrieved on June 28, 2010, from the Web
site: http://www.canadian-republic.ca/faq.html
5. Counterweights. "Some Obstacles to Democracy in Canada." Counterweights. 2009.
Retrieved on June 28, 2010, from the Web site:
http://www.counterweights.ca/2009/05/long_wave_goodbye/
6. DeRocco, David. From Sea to Sea: A Newcomer's Guide to Canada. Full Blast
Productions, 2009.
7. Hage, Ghassan. "Locating Multiculturalism's Other: A Critique of Practical
Tolerance." New Formations, 24:19-34.
8. Lattas, Andrew. "Aborigines and Contemporary Australian Nationalism: Primordiality
and the…
References:
1. Appadurai, Samy. Canada: The Meat of the World Sandwich. Authorhouse, 2009.
2. Bridge, Carl., & Fedorawich, Kent. The British World: Diaspora, Culture & Identity.
Routledge, 2003.
3. Cannadine, David. Making History Now and then: Discoveries, Controversies and Explorations. Palgrave MacMillan, 2008.
" (Rowthorn and Ramaswamy, 1999) The largest portion of the workforce in these advanced economies is employed either in the manufacturing or services sector and the result is "...the evolution of employment shares depends mainly on output and productivity trends in these two sectors." (Rowthorn and Ramaswamy, 1999) in the majority of advanced economies, there has been a generally faster growth of labor productivity than the growth in services with the
In this sense, there were changes that took place according to the system exported by the United States through the Canadian perspective. Thus, it "integrated itself into an emerging, common, North American discourse, that nationalists, opposed to 'American domination', aligned themselves with, or made common cause with, socialists, opposed to both national and international capitalist organization" The important changes that took place however at the level of the economy represented
Canada Politics & Governance Politically, Canada has been dramatically reshaped by globalization. The country's political system was developed to reflect the proverbial two solitudes -- English and French -- but overhaul has been necessitated by an influx of millions of immigrants, and the changing views of Canadian society with respect to the nation's role in the world. This section will highlight the macro-level picture first, and then illustrate some lower-level examples of
Canadian Senate Politics in all its varied forms and nuances across both the free and undemocratic world share a common feature. In all its forms, politics is complicated. This is perhaps especially so for political leaders and entities whose function has become either redundant or unclear over the centuries of their existence. In addition to the general pitfalls of corruption and ineffective leadership, some entities face becoming obsolete in the face
Official Language and Social Prestige in Speaking and Writing Few of the indigenous languages in Canada have a developed system of writing other than transliteration into the phonetic alphabet, contributing to their lack of official status (Norris). French and English are both still used on government forms, literature, and websites, but the levels of prestige these languages carry vary greatly from region to region within the country (StatCAn 2009; Healy 2007).
Canadian Canada is one of the largest countries in Northern America, covering more than 9 million square metres. It has a population of over 31 million people. Even though the country is ethnically diverse, two main languages the people use are English and French. The Canadians use these two official languages. This makes it a bilingual country. People whose ancestry is British make the largest percentage of the people who
