A new poll finds that Canadians are evenly split on whether the country should sever ties with the monarchy.
In a study compiled by Forum Research among Canadians 18 years or older, 43 percent said they are in favour of abolishing the monarchy upon the death of Queen Elizabeth, while 43 percent said they are against it. Fourteen percent said they don’t have an opinion on the matter.
The study was published shortly after the Liberal Party’s recent biennial convention, which rejected a motion to urge Parliament to create a committee for the study of severing ties with the British Crown.
According to the survey, 41 percent of those with a vote preference for the Liberals said they favour abolishing the monarchy. This is less than the number of Bloc Quebecois (71 percent) and NDP (49 percent) supporters, but more than Conservative supporters (37 percent).
“There’s a lot of people at both sides of this issue, and you’ll find them across all the parties, although it will vary by party,” says Lorne Bozinoff, president of Forum Research.
Bozinoff says that although the Liberals are trying to rebuild the party in Quebec where support for the monarchy is weak, people in favour of retaining the monarchy tend to be more enthusiastic about the issue than those in favour of abolishing it, and that might explain the decision made at the Liberal Party convention.
Quebec has the highest percentage of supporters for abolishment at 67 percent. The figures drop significantly to 39 percent in Ontario, 35 percent in the Prairies, 30 percent in British Columbia, and 28 percent in the Maritimes.
Support for abolishment was the highest among Canadians aged 35-44, and the lowest among those 55 and older. Bozinoff says that could be attributed to older Canadians being more traditional and therefore more supportive of the monarchy.
Interestingly, support for abolishment among younger Canadians, aged 18-34, was slightly lower than those in the 45-54 age group.
“I think that’s due to Prince William who is in that age category himself, and his wife,” Bozinoff says.
Support for the monarchy in Canada received a considerable boost after the royal wedding and the tour of Canada by the newlyweds last year, Bozinoff notes.
“The wedding, I think, has been very good for the monarchy in terms of raising their profile in Canada, and the tour likewise was a good move on their part.”
The percentage of Canadians wanting to see the monarchy abolished in the Forum Research poll is significantly lower than the findings of an Ipsos Reid survey conducted for Canada.com in 2010.
That survey, conducted ahead of the Queen’s visit to Canada, showed that 58 percent of Canadians want to cut ties with the monarchy after the Queen’s reign ends.
“I think [support for abolishment is] partly driven by the popularity of the monarchy. When they’re less popular, probably the numbers to abolish go up, and when they’re more popular, the numbers go down,” says Bozinoff.
Abandoning links with the British monarchy is also an ongoing question in other nations that currently have the Queen as the head of state.
Jamaica’s new prime minister, Portia Simpson, has indicated that she intends to cut ties with the monarchy and transform the Caribbean nation into a republic. Last year, the New Zealand Parliament voted against having a referendum to decide the future of monarchy in that country.
In Australia, a poll last year showed that the majority of Australians (55 percent) want to maintain links with the monarchy, while only 34 percent want it abolished.
Members of the royal family will soon visit Canada again—this time Prince Charles and his wife Camilla—as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations that mark the Queen’s 60th year on the throne.
Members of the royal family are visiting all countries that have the Queen as the head of state as well as other major Commonwealth nations as part of the celebrations.
Charles and Camilla will make their stop in Canada in May.
