EDITORIAL: Yes to King Charles reopening parliament

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Having King Charles deliver the speech from the throne when parliament resumes on May 27, following the federal election, was a smart move by Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Not only is it appropriate given that Charles is Canada’s head of state, but it sends an important symbolic signal, as Carney noted, that “matches the weight of our times” in that “Canada has a steadfast defender in our sovereign.”

It also reaffirms that Canada, as a member of the Commonwealth, has important allies in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s irrational tariff war on our country.

Predictably, the federal Bloc Quebecois and Quebec’s Parti Quebecois are objecting to having Canada’s head of state open Canada’s parliament, given that they object to being a part of Canada, even though Quebec is a part of Canada and the BQ has seats in the House of Commons.

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As the BQ put it in a statement on social media and reported by Postmedia: “Inviting King Charles III to open the new legislature reveals Liberal values that are fundamentally at odds with those of Quebecers, who reject this institution and are committed to democracy and modernity.

“For Mark Carney to embody Canadian sovereignty by calling upon a foreign monarch to inaugurate the legislature where he will serve as prime minister is, to say the least, perplexing.”

One would think the BQ, having lost 30% of its caucus in the April 28 election — reduced from 33 seats to 23 pending recounts — would have more pressing concerns about its own future than inaccurately describing Charles as a “foreign monarch.”

As for the Liberals being “fundamentally at odds” with the values of Quebecers, they won almost twice as many seats as the BQ in Quebec.

When combined with the 11 seats won by the Conservatives and one by the NDP, it means Quebecers voted overwhelmingly in favour of federalist parties in this election.

It is true there has been declining support for the monarchy, not only in Quebec but across Canada, with polls today showing only about one in four Canadians support retaining ties with the monarchy.

However, with the U.S. no longer being a reliable ally of Canada, it’s important to maintain our alliances with the Commonwealth.