Canada’s history has toyed with the idea of republicanism. Citizens for a Canadian Republic, which was founded in 2002, takes issue with the fact that Queen Elizabeth is an unelected and hereditary head of state. In 2007, Benoit Pelletire, the minister for intergovernmental affairs at the time, said: “I’m not saying that the monarchy must be abolished, but it will take some thought, especially on its usefulness and relevance”. But in 2012, the Liberal Party voted whether Canada should keep the monarchy at a policy convention. More than 60 per cent voted against the idea.