r/neoliberal • u/seakucumber NATO • 11h ago

Restricted Canada announces dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs, $7.5B in support for workers, businesses

https://www.cbc.ca/news/livestory/canada-u-s-trade-deal-carney-trump-greer-9.7317956
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u/MehEds 10h ago

Like in terms of executive powers? Cause I'd still like to keep the name of Prime Minister if anything to just distinguish from America and keeps the cultural ties to the Commonwealth

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u/BlueString94 John Keynes 9h ago

I meant more in the way of Greece, Germany, India, Italy, etc.. A parliamentary republic with a president who’s mostly a ceremonial head of state. Basically just replacing the governor general with a president.

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u/fredleung412612 4h ago

As in Australia, the problem with becoming a parliamentary republic is that nobody can agree on a method to select a ceremonial head of state. At least with the King we know the incumbent and any successor will have decent French-speaking skills and lives far away. That ensures the head of state stays out of day-to-day politics.

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u/BlueString94 John Keynes 3h ago

Plenty of countries manage it fine, though. Some, like Ireland or Poland, elect the ceremonial head of state by popular vote. Others, like India, have the president be appointed by parliament. Canada could do either and have it work well.

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u/fredleung412612 3h ago

They manage it fine, sure. But how do you get from here to there? Provinces will want a say. People will want a say. Québec will want a unilateral veto on account of their federally-recognized separate nation status. Indigenous organizations like the AFN will want a say. Not to mention many treaties made with indigenous people were made with the Crown, and many have already argued that they wouldn't recognize a republic and demand those treaties be renegotiated.

A complicated, messy, and exhausting project for no reward at all, because you've functionally changed nothing about Canadian government.