Canadian politicians are refusing to swear an oath to King Charles III as they find it 'humiliating'
Canadian politicians are refusing to swear under oath for King Charles III as they find the British Monarchy ‘humiliating’.
BBC News reported that 14 newly elected politicians have refused to pledge their allegiance to the King while being sworn into parliament.
According to CTA News, Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet explained to reporters that his oath under the British Crown would be 'meaningless'.
He added: “I am personally certain that many MPs from other parties feel exactly the same, but that is not a subject openly discussed by other parties, while for us it is obvious.”
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The move came before the Bloc Quebecois leader introduced the motion to sever ties with the monarchy.
Mr Blanchet said the Crown's connection to Canada is so old that he believes it's ‘archaeological’ and that it's ‘humiliating’ to still be connected to Britain.
Blanchet also said during his speech before parliament on Tuesday (October 25) that now is a good time for Quebec to become a republic following Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
He added in a separate statement: “The recent changing of the guard in England is an opportunity for Quebecers and Canadians to free themselves from a dilapidated monarchical link.”
However, the motion proved unsuccessful as 266 members of parliament voted an overwhelming ‘no’ , with only 44 votes in favour, as per Reuters.
For the constitution to be reopened, the proposal must be approved by the House of Commons, the Senate in parliament and reach unanimous consent of all 10 Canadian provinces.
While the MP admitted he expected the proposal to fail, he said that it at least showed the Canadian people that federal politicians ‘prefer to support the King than the people’, according to BBC News.
He also said that the number of Canadians no longer wanting to be linked to the British Crown was growing as more people recognised the role as purely ‘symbolic’.
However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rejected Blanchet’s remarks, saying parliament needed to focus on issues that directly affected its people, including the crippling cost of living crisis, as per Al Jazeera.
He said: “Canadians are concerned by the issues they are facing, whether that’s climate change, global instability or the cost of living.
"And that’s what we choose to discuss."
The Prime Minister added: “They [the Bloc] want to reopen the constitution; we will remain focused on the concerns of Canadians.”
Topics: News, World News, Royal Family, King Charles III, Politics
Charisa Bossinakis