Bloc Quebecois leader calls monarchy 'racist', tables motion for Canada to split ties

Following a motion tabled in the House of Commons to sever ties between Canada and the monarchy, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet on Tuesday called the institution "incredibly racist" and "slave-driven."

"It's archaic. It's a thing of the past. It's almost archaeological. It's humiliating," Blanchet said in a speech to MPs, calling on them to take the necessary steps to do away with the monarchy.

However, it would be "very difficult" to cut those connections in Canada, York University legal theorist and law professor Allan Hutchinson told CTVNews.ca in September.

Hutchinson explained severing ties would require an "amendment by unanimous consent" to the Constitution, involving the agreement of the House of Commons, the Senate, and all 10 provinces.

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Other MPs criticized Blanchet's motion as detracting from more pressing priorities, such as inflation, climate change, the pandemic and health care, and questioned the Bloc's timing in debating the monarchy.

Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus called the motion "part of the Bloc's long tradition of political spin" and accused the party of jockeying for headlines.

"The Bloc is just looking for a reason to exist," he said. "They are looking for pretext to justify their very existence in this chamber, which they call a foreign Parliament."

Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux meanwhile said Canadians are more focused on other issues.

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"There are so many things that are on the minds of Canadians, whether it's our seniors, our health-care system, or having a job," he said. "And the separatist party here in the House of Commons wants to focus on constitutional change. Does the member really believe, given the priorities that I just finished emphasizing, this is really the time now to open up the Constitution?"

"We are able to talk about more than one thing at a time," Blanchet countered.

The Bloc leader also said members of his party have been "forced" to swear allegiance to a "conquering" empire, making their oaths to the Crown "meaningless." He said Bloc MPs are sincere in their oaths to Quebecers, not to the monarchy.