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Toronto,
March 9, 2009 - Canada's republican movement, Citizens
for a Canadian Republic, welcomes the Green Party of
Canada's new policy resolution calling for an amendment to
the Citizenship Act to remove allegiance to "Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and
Successors."
The change, established at the national convention on the
weekend, keeps the party's policy on the monarchy closer to
that of fellow Greens in the Commonwealth. The Green Party
of Aotearoa New Zealand has supported modernizing their
oaths since 2005. Australia has already revised their
Citizenship oath in 1993 to delete all reference to the
monarchy. The Green Party there goes even further,
advocating "Australia should become a republic with an
Australian head of state."
In Canada, there have been many unsuccessful attempts to
revise the Citizenship Act to accommodate monarchy
objectors, by both Conservative and Liberal governments.
Most recently, Bill C-203 in 2003.
The swearing of an oath to the Queen as a prerequisite for
civil service employment ended with The Public Service
Modernization Act in 2005.
● Present Canadian Citizenship Oath - I swear (or
affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her
Heirs and Successors, and that I will
faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfill my duties
as a Canadian citizen.
● Australian Citizenship Pledge - (Revised in 1993) -
As an Australian citizen, I affirm my loyalty to Australia
and its people, whose democratic beliefs I share, whose
rights and liberties I respect, and whose laws I uphold and
obey.
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