Quebec just passed a similar bill that removes the need for MNAs to swear allegiance
In Prescott, Ontario, the town council voted down a motion to ask the Ontario government to stop making elected officials take an oath of allegiance to King Charles III.
The motion, which was made by Coun. Lee McConnell, did not get a seconder at the council meeting on Monday night, so it did not get talked about or put to a vote.
“In the four terms I’ve been on council, I’ve never seen a council member disrespect another council member by not seconding a motion like this,” McConnell said after he didn’t get a seconder.
“Not giving a member of council who has obviously put a lot of thought into it the chance to talk about something that is very important to him shows, in my opinion and in my experience, a significant lack of respect for that person.”
McConnell had told CBC before that he thought it would be easy to find a seconder for the motion.
If the motion had passed, the town about 90 kilometers south of Ottawa would have had to ask Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, to change the Municipal Act so that elected officials don’t have to take an oath or can do so if they want to.
In Ontario’s current oath of office, it says, “I will be loyal and true to His Majesty King Charles the Third.”
McConnell’s motion had mentioned that the Quebec government had passed a bill in December that made it optional for members of the National Assembly to take the same oath.
A council member says that residents were against the motion
Councilman Justin Kirby answered McConnell by saying that he didn’t plan to support the motion when he came to the meeting.
Kirby said, “I’m here to represent the people of Prescott.” The feedback I got from my constituents, or residents, was that they didn’t agree with your motion. “I’m not being rude.”
McConnell said that he thought another council member should have supported the motion, even if they didn’t plan to vote for it.
“That’s not nice,” he said. “I’ll remember it,” he said.