Posted by Wilson
on September 17, 2009, 12:54 am, in reply to "Re: QOTW: How will you find out the views of your ridings' candidates in any upcoming federal election?"
138.73.75.194
I'd pretty much agree with every point but (9). The queen is,was and always will be the commander in chief of the armed forces and does have the authority to prorogue and dismiss parliment. I'll explain why this is both important and a good thing.
If it can be stated as fact that governments recieve their legitamacy to govern(note,I did not say rule or reign) from the democratic process,elections,referendums,etc. then we can suppose that parliment has legitamacy while the queen does not.
-However-
If we look at the constitution ALL executive power rests with the monarch(humourously, the PM is not even mentioned), the PM having in fact to get the gov.gen. to sign anything he wants made into law. From this we can gather that only by both parts of the executive working together can legislation pass.
Aside from the occasional difficulties over whether or not an election should be called the only time the monarch could act directly is went the government no longer has legitamacy e.g. the P.M. just decided not to call an election, wide-spread electoral fraud, zombies take over parliment hill and eat all the M.P.'s brai..um I will stick with take over the hill.
The point being that sure the monarchy does not run day to day activites not because they can't but because they don't. If Canada ever needs a plan B the monarchy is ready to take up the charge.
Granted some people may be disturbed that an unelected official has government power. I would say it is more disturbing for a head of state to have both legitamacy AND constitutional power:
-Nixon
-Hugo Chaves
-Bush
-every dictator who ever had a referendum on staying for "just one more year"
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A few minor unrelated points,"The royal family can't do anything to us now, anyways"-implies that the royal families activities have been a negative for Canada.
"nor can the family tell the GG to commandeer the Canadian military forces to establish a dictatorship"-cannot commandeer what is already yours.
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