Small majority of Canadians want end to monarchy, new poll finds

Just in time for Canada Day, a survey finds a slim majority of Canadians want to cut the country's remaining historical tie to Britain by doing away with the monarchy.

The poll of more than two thousand Canadians commissioned by Your Canada, Your Constitution, found 52 per cent of respondents no longer want a British king or queen as their head of state, while 43 per cent prefer to leave things as they are.

Not surprisingly, ditching the monarchy gets overwhelming support in Quebec (76 per cent), while in the rest of Canada, only 44 per cent support the change, Your Canada, Your Constitution said in a news release Tuesday.

[Related: Constitutional rift between Quebec, rest of Canada left a 'deep scar']

The newly formed national educational foundation also said support for the change is much higher among younger Canadians (aged 34 and below), who favour a Canadian head of state by a 57 per cent margin.

Those 35 and older were evenly split on the idea.

"Given this survey result, and the survey result released last week by YCYC which revealed that 65 per cent of Canadians want clear rules to regulate key decision-making powers of Governor General and provincial lieutenant governors, enforced by Supreme Court of Canada, it seems a majority of Canadians agree with changes to the fundamental structure and exercise of powers in Canadian governments," the organization said.

National Post commentator Kelly McParland questioned the credibility of that conclusion when it was released last week.

"Oh come on. If 65 per cent of Canadians can even name the Governor General (hint: it's not Adrienne Clarkson), much less any of the lieutenant governors (and explain what the difference is) I'd be shocked," he wrote.

(For the record, I know who the Governor General is. It's a guy named Johnston. Right? Johnston?)

And besides, McParland suggested, it's a loaded question.

"What are you going to say? 'No, I think there should be few rules and the Governor-General should be able to do anything he wants.' "

The group, whose point man is Democracy Watch founder Duff Conacher, says it does research and education about the history and continued development of the Constitution and governments.

Democracy Watch focuses on ethics in government and pushed for more openness about how decisions are made.

Conacher quit Democracy Watch two years ago after running the organization for 17 years, the Globe and Mail reported.

The data on both issues was gathered between May 10-20 through Harris/Decima's teleVox, the company's national omnibus survey. Results are based on a sample of 2,030 Canadians, and the corresponding margin of error is ±2.2%, 19 times out of 20, the group said.