News Releases

2009

November 27, 2009 - Commonwealth must be fully committed to its own principles - Common Cause, the alliance of Commonwealth republican movements, is calling on the Commonwealth leaders, meeting at the GHOGM in Trinidad and Tobago, to demonstrate a stronger commitment to its own core values.

November 26, 2009 - Royal visit costs prove Canada can do better - Citizens for a Canadian Republic reacts to information released on the huge cost to taxpayers for the visit to Canada by Prince Charles and Camilla.

October 30, 2009- Royal visit to Canada raises serious questions - Citizens for a Canadian Republic questions the policy of Canada paying to have all members of the Queen's family visit here, the wisdom of having Prince Charles incite Québec extremism with visits to two cities in that province and why Canada's government lags behing Australia and New Zealand in head of state reform.

July 2, 2009 - Support for ending monarchy now at record high - In a Canada Day opinion poll released by The Globe and Mail / CTV, an unprecedented 65 per cent of Canadians want the monarchy to end when the Queen's reign ends.

May 14, 2009 - 'Canada after the Queen' subject of Victoria Day forum - Host Phil Taylor of CIUT's 'The Taylor Report, hosts a series of presentations and discussion focusing on the growth of public opinion for ending the monarchy and what steps should be taken now to prepare for a republic. Guest speakers include pollster and former political strategist Peter Donolo, author and policy analyst Randall White and CBC Air Farce comedian Alan Park.

April 7, 2009 - Governor-General says republic inevitable in Australia - Canadian republicans applaud Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce's comment that she believes Australia will become a republic and that eventually ditching the monarchy was "part of the development of our democracy." 

March 9, 2009Green Party of Canada supports ending oath to Queen - 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 the monarchy.


2008

December 5, 2008 - The governor general: Outdated and overdue for reform - CCR provides comments on the Governor General's decision to agree to the Prime Minister's request to prorogue parliament.

September 17, 2008 - Republic debate: Australia leads, Canada dithers. CCR welcomes the news of republican Malcolm Turnbull's selection as the new leader of the Australian Liberal Party. Australia now has prominent republicans in both main federal political parties. Canada remains the only major overseas Commonwealth nation left without at least one national political party with an official policy on ending the monarchy.

May 15, 2008 - Fotheringham on monarchy: 'Time to wave goodbye.' CCR marks the Victoria Day/Patriots Day weekend with a special speaking engagement featuring the legendary Maclean's Magazine and CBC journalist Allan Fotheringham.

February 15, 2008 - Attorney General tries again to stop monarchy oath lawsuit. After failing in two lower courts to stop Charles Roach's class action lawsuit, the Government of Canada tries again to keep the lawsuit from proceeding closer to certification.


2007

November 28, 2007 - Barbados to vote on ending British monarchy - Citizens for a Canadian Republic welcomes the news that a referendum on ending the monarchy in Barbados will be included in the Caribbean nation's next general election being held within the next nine months.

November 26, 2007 - New Australian PM revives republic debate - Kevin Rudd's Labor Party is elected in the Australian General Election. A staunch republican, he promises to hold a new republic referendum, possibly by 2010. Commonwealth republican movements expect the mood to spread beyond Australia leading up to the referendum.

November 22, 2007 - Prince Charles has no place at Commonwealth ConferenceCalling for an end to the monarchy's favoured position within the Commonwealth, Common Cause, an alliance of the Commonwealth republican movements in Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand, rejects the notion that Charles should automatically succeed the Queen as lifetime head of the organization.

October 3, 2007 - Poll: Canadians want end to monarchy - The latest poll that shows a strong majority of Canadians support replacing the monarchy with a republic prompts CCR to call for and all-party parliamentary committee to discuss the issue.

September 12, 2007 - Monarchy oath lawsuit gets new hearing - The Attorney General of Canada appeals the May decision by Ontario Superior Court Judge Edward Belobaba which allowed Charles Roach's class action objecting to the Citizenship Act's mandatory oath to the Queen to proceed.

July 26, 2007 - Australia to re-open debate on republic - Citizens for a Canadian Republic welcomes Australian opposition leader Kevin Rudd's announcement that if elected later this year as prime minister, he would hold a new republic referendum. The renewed debate in Australia is expected to spread to Canada and the rest of the Commonwealth.

June 20, 2007 - Ireland's president: An example for Canadian reform - CCR welcomes Irish President Mary McAleese to Canada and suggests that Ireland's transformation from constitutional monarchy to stable and prosperous republic deserves to be looked at as a model for Canada's evolution.

May 18, 2007 - Monarchy a serious threat to unity - As English-speaking Canada marks the monarchist Victoria Day holiday this Monday, Citizens for a Canadian Republic (CCR) wants Canadians to think about the damage to Canadian unity the monarchy causes.

May 7, 2007 - Citizenship Act class action hearing, Tuesday, May 8 - A class action lawsuit filed by CCR member Charles Roach gets its first Superior Court hearing in Toronto. At issue is whether the requirement for new citizens to take an oath containing the words "… be faithful and bear true allegiance to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her heirs and Successors" contravenes sections 2 and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.


2006

October 28, 2006 - National Defence Act needs to better reflect the times - CCR says it's time to repeal imprisonment for "disloyal" comments about monarch by members of Canada's military.

May 19, 2006 - CCR: Think of monarchy on Victoria Day - Canada's official day to mark the Queen's birthday is an excellent time to examine the contradictions the monarchy has with our Canadian values and constitution, says CCR. 

March 13, 2006 - It's time for Canada to update flag protocol on Commonwealth Day - CCR calls on The Department of Canadian Heritage to bring Canada into the 21st century in regards to the official flying of the Royal Union Flag on Commonwealth Day.


2005

December 10, 2005 - Canada's Citizenship Act target of class action lawsuit - On Human Rights Day 2005, CCR announces its support for member Charles Roach's class action contesting the constitutionality of the Canadian Citizenship Act's oath of allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II and her heirs and successors.

September 26, 2005 - Republicans hope G-G's office continues to evolve under Jean - CCR bids an official "farewell" to Governor General Clarkson and welcomes her successor, Madame Michaëlle Jean.

August 4, 2005 - Prime Minister Martin - Make this the last appointed governor general - CCR welcomes Mme Michaëlle Jean as Canada's new governor general while also continuing its appeal for more democracy in the selection process.

May 19. 2005 - Republicans to protest Queen in Citizenship Oath - More detailed version of media release from May 13. 

May 16. 2005 - Canadian republican movement welcomes Queen and Prince Phillip - On the eve of the Royal Visit to Saskatchewan and Alberta, CCR welcomes the Royal couple and acknowledges the increased discussion of republicanism the visit generates. 

May 13. 2005 - Citizenship oath should be to Canada not Queen - CCR announces a repeat of 2004's successful protest of the outdated Citizenship Act on Saturday, May 21. The event, which was televised last year on all major news networks, will again be held at the Ontario Legislature grounds on Victoria Day weekend, the official celebration of the Queen's birthday. (Released to local media).

April 7, 2005 - New alliance links Commonwealth republican movements - Common Cause, an alliance of Commonwealth Republican movements is launced on three continents. CCR will share information, ideas and resources with The Australian Republican Movement, the Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand (RMANZ) and Republic in the UK.

March 11, 2005 - Canadian charter rights diminished by outdated British act - CCR supports Tony O'Donohue's continued fight agains the 1701 Act of Settlement in the Ontario Court of Appeals.

February 11, 2005 - Wedding announcement signals royal makeover - CCR points out that Charles' low approval ratings so late in the Queen's reign is the real motivator for the royal wedding PR campaign.

February 3, 2005 - Canada's head of state: We can do better - On the 53rd anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s Accession to the Throne, Ashok Charles, a senior member of Citizens for a Canadian Republic’s executive, expresses why the oath she took on coronation is completely unsuitable for a twenty-first century Canadian head of state.


2004

November 18, 2004 - Is this Canada's next head of state? - CCR says Prince Charles' elitist comments on social standing are not compatible with egalitarian Canada, suggesting that it's time to debate whether he, or any other monarch, is suitable to be Canada's next head of state.

October 1, 2004 - Act now on governor general, republican group says - On the occasion of Governor General Clarkson's one year extension, CCR asks the Prime Minister to use this period to act decisively the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates. Its report, titled: The Governor General of Canada: Role, Duties and Funding for Activities, calls for sweeping reforms of the office.

.May 20, 2004 - Time to promote Canada, not Queen, on holiday - CCR proposes redesignating Victoria Day as Citizenship Day. Member Ashok Charles recants Oath of Citizenship's allegiance to Queen at an Ontario Legislature gathering.

March 18, 2004 - Proposal for electing the Governor General announced - CCR calls on the Prime Minister to appoint a special parliamentary committee to examine democratizing the office of the Governor General.


2003

June 13, 2003 - Former Australian Republican Movement chairman speaks at dinner engagement - Greg Barns, National Chairman of the ARM from 2000 to 2002 and National Campaign Director of the 1999 referendum for an Australian head of state addresses members and supporters of CCR at an informal evening dinner and reception.

May 29, 2003 - Australian scandal exposes flawed appointment process - Canadian and Australian republicans unite in condemnation of their similarly undemocratic systems of selecting Governors General.

May 14, 2003 - Debate on monarchy's future must begin now, says republican movement - CCR calls for a Royal Commission to get the official discussion started on the future of the monarchy.


2002

November 5, 2002 - Oath to Queen costs Canada citizens, says republican movement - Comments from national director and CCR supporters on the propoposed Citizenship Act.

October 9, 2002 - Manley's comments fair, say republicans - CCR comments on Deputy Prime Minister John Manley's remarks about the monarchy, it's ramifications on the republican movement and its similarity to events in Australia and New Zealand.

October 4, 2002 - Canadian republicans welcome royal visit - CCR welcomes Queen while urging Canadians to take the occasion to engage in the discussion of the monarchy and its future in Canada.

September 24, 2002 - Canada's republican movement presents legal case against the monarchy. CCR announces filing to become an intervener in the Act of Settlement legal action against the federal government.

May 14, 2002 - Republican events planned for "Victoria Week" - Public forum at University of Toronto. - 1837 Rebellion commemoration at Samuel Lount hanging site.

April 10, 2002 - New movement formed advocating a Canadian republic - Announcement of the formation of Citizens for a Canadian Republic and the hosting of a public forum in Toronto.

 

 

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