Mouvement laïque québécois

Manifesto for a Secular Republic

This text is an English translation of the original French text Manifeste pour une république laïque.

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We yearn for democracy because it is the only form of government which satisfies the needs of free persons who are conscious of their equal dignity as members of the human species. It is the system of governance which corresponds to our humanist and secular values.

We are told from childhood on that Canada is recognized worldwide as an admirable example of democracy. This is not the case.

It is a strange democracy indeed, wherein the head of state is a permanent resident of a foreign country and is designated by hereditary succession rather than by the people or their representatives.

It is a strange democracy wherein it is compulsory that the head of state be of Protestant religion and be at the same time the supreme leader of the Church of England.

It is a strange democracy which assigns sweeping powers (executive, legislative, power of nomination) to a prime minister whose political party is supported by only 36% of the electorate.

It is a strange democracy in which the upper chamber (Senate) is unelected and theoretically has the same power and prerogatives as the elected lower chamber (House of Commons).

It is a strange democracy which refuses popular sovereignty but proclaims, in its constitution, the supremacy of God, thus violating the freedom of belief of its citizenry and their representatives.

It is a strange democracy which by article 29 of its 1982 constitution grants higher priority to the privileges of some religious communities than it does to the fundamental rights of all citizens as specified in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

It is a strange democracy whose Criminal Code forbids blasphemy, without precisely defining this term, thus opening the door to possible “witch hunts” and imposing unacceptable limits on freedom of thought.

We denounce the undemocratic character of the constitutional regime of Canada and invite organisations of civil society and political parties to join us in this venture. We formulate propositions for constitutional reform. Some of these changes will be difficult to achieve. This is not a reason to avoid public debate of the issues. If the present Canadian constitution is an obstacle to reasonable democratic reform, then the constitutional framework itself must be changed.

First, we propose abolition of the monarchy, repeal of all related constitutional dispositions and elimination of all royal symbolism. No state can claim to be fundamentally and essentially democratic if it is founded on monarchy. A democratic regime must be constituted on democratic principles rather than on symbols which contradict the most fundamental of democratic values.

Recourse to biological heredity for attribution of a public position or an official function is nothing but a discriminatory privilege based on race, ethnicity and social position. The requirement that the successor to the throne be Protestant violates the right to equality without regard to religion. The stipulation that, upon acceding to the throne, the monarch also becomes the supreme head of the Church of England contradicts any secular pretensions which the Canadian state might have.

Were it only for the unhealthy underlying message conveyed by royal symbolism, that would be enough to abolish the monarchy. And indeed, royal symbolism is omnipresent: on stamps, on currency, in the ritual formula of the Queen adopting laws proposed by the legislative chambers, in the titles of the state’s attorneys, in the texts of lawsuits launched in the Queen’s name, etc. This omnipresence of royal symbols constantly reminds the peoples of Canada, even if subliminally, that they are not sovereign, that authority comes from above, that the scraps of democracy which they enjoy are regularly consented to by Her Majesty, source of all power, she who assures the harmony of the peoples under her tutelage, she who protects both against evildoers prosecuted in her name and against those who would abuse democracy.

Royal symbolism is so pervasive in Canadian constitutional texts as to render them incomprehensible to ordinary citizens or to those who are not trained in the mechanics of constitutional convention. The British North America Act of 1867 (still in effect) is loaded with prerogatives, discretionary powers and authority formally granted to the Queen.

By virtue of article 9 she has full executive power; by virtue of article 15 she is supreme commander of our naval and terrestrial forces; by virtue of article 16 she chooses the site of our national capital and may change it at will; by virtue of article 17 she is one of the three components of the Canadian parliament. It is in her name that senators, lieutenant-governors and judges are chosen.

These attributions of power have a subliminal effect: to maintain the widespread conviction that the proper functioning of our institutions depends on the Queen, based on the simple reality of her existence. According to the royalist ideology which has been drummed into us, power must establish its legitimacy upon the solid foundation of royalty. It is this ideology which must be overturned in order to open the way to true democracy, which must of necessity be republican.

While most constitutional amendments require the agreement of at least seven provinces and of both federal chambers, modification of the role of the Queen, the governor-general and the lieutenant-governors cannot be obtained without the assent of the federal government and the legislative assemblies of each and every province. The result of this antidemocratic condition is that any reform which implies the abolition of the monarchy is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to bring about. The monarchy is thus preserved by the toughest constitutional protection possible. If what we propose is impossible to realize in the context of the Canadian state, then we assert Quebec’s right to adopt freely, for itself, a republican and secular regime which corresponds to its democratic aspirations.

As for the Senate, we propose that it be abolished or that its members be elected. We suggest that senators could be elected from lists proportionally representing the four major regions of Canada.

Because we believe deeply in the equality of all Canadians, regardless of religion, we propose elimination of article 93 of the constitution of 1867, article 29 of the constitution of 1982, as well as the reference to the supremacy of God in the preamble to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We propose that the prohibition of blasphemy be eliminated from the Criminal Code.

It is our desire to live in a democratic, secular republic, respectful of the beliefs of all its citizens and respectful as well of their equality, regardless of their beliefs or lack thereof.

Translation: Claude Braun & David Rand