Cullen Proposes Plebiscite on Scrapping Monarchy

B.C. MP setting himself up as candidate for democratic reform.

NDP MP Nathan Cullen says he will hold a plebiscite to see if Canadians still want to be a part of the monarchy should the leadership candidate end up as prime minister in 2015. Cullen, who's already pledged to hold joint-nomination meetings with the Liberals and Greens in ridings held by Conservative MPs, says Canadians have never really had a say over whether or not the country should be ruled – technically, at least – by an old lady who lives in a palace across an ocean or her heirs. Cullen's other democratic reform proposals include restoring public funding for political parties, abolishing the Senate, and holding a referendum on changes to Canada's first-past-the-post voting system. The first NDP leadership debate will be held on Sunday, and the party will vote for a new leader in March at a convention in Toronto.