The Ford government is imposing the singing of “God Save the Queen” in the Ontario Legislature. Here’s why we won’t take part.

By: MPP Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong) , MPP Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk-James Bay), and MPP Suze Morrison (Toronto Centre).

Late last year, the Doug Ford Conservatives, with support from the Liberal and Green parties, quietly made a series of changes to the rules of procedure that must be followed in the chamber of the Ontario Legislature. Tucked in amongst the changes is a mandate to sing the British national anthem “God Save the Queen” on the first Monday of each month that the government is sitting.

On Monday, 124 elected members of the Parliament of Ontario were called to join in the singing of “God Save the Queen,” and we, the three Indigenous members of Ontario’s Official Opposition NDP, with the support of the NDP leader and caucus, declined to participate. Instead, on the first Monday of each month we will wait until the singing of “God Save the Queen” is completed before entering the chamber and undertaking our duties as members of the Legislative Assembly.

For each of us, the decision to abstain stems from a deep personal discomfort with the song and the values of the colonial era it represents. First popularized in England and Scotland during the 1740s, “God Save the Queen” is an archaic tribute to the British colonial period and the centuries of violence, oppression and discrimination the British Empire carried out against the nations and peoples it considered inferior — Indigenous peoples in Canada a glaring example among them.

While colonialism and racism remain embedded in the structures and institutions of our province and country, the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada calls for improved relations between the federal and provincial governments of Canada and Indigenous Nations. The report highlights the need for public education on the injustices done to Indigenous peoples throughout Canada’s history. We see the revival of “God Save the Queen” in the House of the provincial Legislature as a step backwards, a regressive shift from the aims of reconciliation to a past that not only condoned, but glorified, the brutality of colonialism and the erasure of Indigenous cultures, languages and bodies.

It is worth noting, that in imposing the singing of “God Save the Queen” in Ontario’s Legislature, the Ford government is not resurrecting a time-worn tradition or venerated practice at Queen’s Park. In fact, according to research done by the Assembly’s Legislative Library, there is no historical evidence that singing the British royal anthem was ever formally mandated in the House’s proceedings (though it may have been sung in a spontaneous or informal manner), meaning Doug Ford’s decision, in December 2019, to adopt the practice into the House’s formal proceedings is unprecedented. The question must be asked: Why introduce it now?

If we are to move closer to dismantling colonialism in Ontario and embracing reconciliation, Indigenous people in Ontario need to see themselves reflected in public spaces, including in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. We need to see ourselves reflected in the rituals of parliament, particularly as this is a body meant to represent all peoples in Ontario. Symbols matter, and for the government of Ontario to impose a colonial ritual like the singing of “God Save the Queen” indicates a turn away from recognition of the injustices done to Indigenous peoples in Ontario.

Ontarians are increasingly aware of the historical injustices caused by colonialism, and the urgent need for reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. There is growing awareness that the legacy of colonialism continues today, with Indigenous communities across the province denied the most basic human rights like access to clean drinking water. Our decision not to participate in the singing of “God Save the Queen” is a challenge to the Ford government’s decision to take Ontario backwards. How can we move forward on reconciliation in Ontario if our government is calling on MPPs to glorify an era infamous for its brutal treatment of Indigenous peoples? By introducing “God Save the Queen” into the Legislature, the Ford government is sending a message that it is not serious about achieving reconciliation. We can only assume, then, that when this government makes statements about reconciliation it is merely paying lip service to an idea it never truly believed in.

Guy Bourgouin is the NDP MPP for Mushkegowuk-James Bay and Official Opposition critic for Francophone Affairs; Sol Mamakwa is the NDP MPP for Kiiwetinoong and Official Opposition critic for Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation; and Suze Morrison is the NDP MPP for Toronto Centre and Official Opposition critic for Urban Indigenous Issues.