Majority of Canadians think royal family 'no longer relevant'

Tumultuous exit of Canada’s governor general prompts questioning of role and monarchy

Polling revealed 55% of Canadians think the royal family is no longer relevant to their daily lives – a rise of 14% from last month. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Leyland Cecco in Toronto-Fri 19 Feb 2021

The tumultuous exit of Canada’s governor general has left Canadians questioning the need for a constitutional monarchy, according to new polling which shows that 55% of respondents believe the royal family is no longer relevant.

In Canada, the governor general is the representative of Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. The role has long been seen as largely ceremonial, but moved to the political centre stage last month when Julie Payette stepped down from her position amid allegations of bullying and harassment of staff.

Following Payette’s unprecedented resignation, polling this week from the Angus Reid Institute found support for both the position of governor general, and the royal family more broadly, is eroding.

Given the chance, 43% of respondents said they would eliminate the position of governor general. Only 22% would opt to keep the role as is.

A majority of respondents (65%) found the job paid far too generously, reflecting widespread outrage that Payette could be eligible for a pension of at least C$149,484 (£84,625) a year as well as an expense allowance of C$206,000 annually. As separate poll conducted by Ipsos found that 80% of Canadians didn’t believe Payette was entitled to a pension.

As Justin Trudeau faces mounting pressure from opposition leaders to create an independent committee to select the next governor general, an overwhelming majority of Canadians have rejected the idea that the prime minister alone should have a hand in choosing the head of state.

A former astronaut and accomplished scientist, Payette was hand-picked by Trudeau in 2017. With lingering questions over how well she was vetted, the prime minister has faced sharp criticism for acting without relying on the advice of a non-partisan committee.

Canadians appear to be growing weary of the role of the monarchy itself. A majority (55%) say the royal family is no longer relevant to their daily lives – a rise of 14% from last month. While the country is evenly split over support for the Queen, opposition to the monarch has jumped nearly 20 points since April, with 50% saying she should no longer be recognised as Canada’s head of state.