Media release

Ireland's president: An example for Canadian reform

Toronto, June 20, 2007 - Canada's republican movement welcomes Irish President Mary McAleese to Canada.  During her stay from June 20 to 21, Citizens for a Canadian Republic (CCR) hopes Canadians will look closely at her stature and performance and see how a modern parliamentary president can be a highly respected and unifying head of state as well as a true representative of the people.

The advocacy group contends that supporters of the head of state status quo in Canada often suggest that discussion of removing the monarchy from the constitution is quixotic, that there's no viable replacement formula. However, the Irish example is proof that a precedent-setting formula is right under our nose. As a former dominion with a British monarch as head of state, Ireland successfully transformed their governor general into a democratically selected presidency when they became a republic, while retaining a prime minister as head of government. Since then, Ireland has blossomed into a prosperous independent nation, respected throughout the world as an example of stability, pluralism and democracy.

Unlike Ireland, Canada's head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, represents only Britain when she travels abroad. Although, in recent years, the role of Canada's governor general has taken on ceremonial presidential characteristics, constitutionally, he or she is still the representative of the Queen, not the people of Canada.

CCR continues to call for the formation of an all-party parliamentary committee to discuss full Canadianization of the head of state.

~ 30 ~

Official website of the President of Ireland

Ireland Park Foundation - President Mary McAleese is attending the opening of Toronto's Ireland Park. Ireland Park Foundation is a charitable, non profit organization honouring the arrival and settlement of the Irish in Canada.