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New King Charles $20 bill represents Canada's unique history · DEEP INSIGHT

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  Speaker 1: It has been more than 70 years since a new
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  Speaker 1: monarch appeared on a Canadian banknote. This is the first
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  Speaker 1: banknote to feature the portrait of His Majesty King Charles III,
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  Speaker 1: following his succession to the throne after the death of
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  Speaker 1: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
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  Speaker 2: The Bank of Canada unveiled its new $ 20 banknote today
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  Speaker 2: featuring a new monarch. The new bill is green, polymer
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  Speaker 2: and vertically oriented. It's set to enter circulation next year.
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  Speaker 2: Joining me now is John Fraser, author of The Governor's General,
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  Speaker 2: An Intimate History of Canada's Highest Office. Nice to see you, John.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks for coming on.
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  Speaker 3: Happy to be here. Thank you.
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  Speaker 2: So the Queen passed away four years ago next week,
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  Speaker 2: and now the Bank of Canada is finally replacing her
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  Speaker 2: image on the banknotes. What does it mean for you
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  Speaker 2: and other monarchists to see the King on the new
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  Speaker 2: $ 20 bill?
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  Speaker 1: Um.
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  Speaker 3: He's the head of state. He should be there.
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  Speaker 4: So it doesn't bother me that they took their time.
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  Speaker 4: I'm glad that they did it. I'm enough of a
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  Speaker 4: cynic that I was thinking maybe they'll have another idea,
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  Speaker 4: which would be a shame. So they're doing it. And
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  Speaker 4: from what I've seen, it looks like a nice bill.
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  Speaker 4: It's come at a good time. I think maybe Canadians....
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  Speaker 3: Who are largely indifferent to the Crown.
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  Speaker 4: That's not me mocking Canadians. I think indifference but not
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  Speaker 4: destruction is OK. It's there to serve our purposes, and
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  Speaker 4: it has on several occasions and will be especially important
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  Speaker 4: in the days.
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  Speaker 3: And months and a few years to come. certainly the
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  Speaker 3: next three years, for us.
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  Speaker 4: So to me, the fact that he's on our most
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  Speaker 4: important paper money, but it comes also at a time,
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  Speaker 4: as you and I both know, JP, when people don't
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  Speaker 4: use cash very much anymore.
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  Speaker 3: But the 20s, the bill, that's the good one to
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  Speaker 3: be on. That's the one.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the one people use most. You mentioned the
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  Speaker 2: next couple of years. Given what we're going through with
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  Speaker 2: the United States, the constant threats to our sovereignty, the
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  Speaker 2: mocking of our history and heritage— Why do you think
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  Speaker 2: it's particularly important now that the head of state has
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  Speaker 2: a place on these bills?
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  Speaker 4: It's a reminder to Canadians of their different history. In
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  Speaker 4: the United States, they got rid of the kings. In Canada,
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  Speaker 4: we evolved into this situation. I am like, I hope
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  Speaker 4: most Canadians, just... really pissed off with what's going down
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  Speaker 4: in the States. It's so unnecessary and stupid.
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  Speaker 3: But I'm getting dark.
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  Speaker 4: I'm hoping that the president gets his ballroom. I'm hoping
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  Speaker 4: he gets his ridiculous arch. And I even think they
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  Speaker 4: should chisel his face as the fifth face into Mount Rushmore,
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  Speaker 4: because I think Americans should be constantly reminded that they
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  Speaker 4: let this guy in power and to do everything that
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  Speaker 4: he's done. And it should remain there for a while afterwards.
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  Speaker 4: So I'm all for all of these huge projects. I
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  Speaker 4: think they're a And by the same token, I'm really
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  Speaker 4: glad that we've got our king on our $ 20 bill
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  Speaker 4: because it's also a reminder of a different way of
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  Speaker 4: going about governance.
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  Speaker 3: You know, JP, I once did an interview with Mr.
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  Speaker 4: Harper when he was prime minister of another book that
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  Speaker 4: had— crown leanings. And he said to me, really interesting thing,
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  Speaker 4: he said he felt he was like most Canadians.
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  Speaker 3: He didn't think too much about the crown one way
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  Speaker 3: or another.
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  Speaker 4: He wasn't anti, but he certainly wasn't particularly pro, until
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  Speaker 4: he became prime minister.
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  Speaker 3: And then he realized, A, how useful it was, but
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  Speaker 3: that wasn't his number one reason.
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  Speaker 4: It was the fact that any of the alternatives he
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  Speaker 4: would try and think about just simply scared him stiff,
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  Speaker 4: which is not.
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  Speaker 3: a sort of heroic statement.
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  Speaker 4: On why our system of government may impact— have evolved
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  Speaker 4: in a more democratic way than the American system. But
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  Speaker 4: it is an interesting reality. And curiously, the Americans keep— in
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  Speaker 4: my theory, they keep re-electing George III every four years.
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  Speaker 4: I mean, they should put Trump on their dollar bills
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  Speaker 4: and everything, because he is a kind of elected king,
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  Speaker 4: whereas we seem to have a kind of appointed republic,
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  Speaker 4: a hereditary republic or something.
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  Speaker 3: I've heard that said.
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  Speaker 2: Obviously, at the outset of this U.S. dispute, King Charles
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  Speaker 2: kind of swooped in and dropped into Canada at a
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  Speaker 2: very opportune time, read the speech from the throne, asserted
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  Speaker 2: rather dramatically that the true North is indeed strong and free.
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  Speaker 2: He planted a maple leaf tree at Buckingham Palace.
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  Speaker 3: He kind of.
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  Speaker 2: He gave a new sword to his attendant here in Canada.
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  Speaker 2: There was a lot of symbolism last year. Do you
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  Speaker 2: think the king needs to do more this year and
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  Speaker 2: now to assert Canadian sovereignty? Should he renew those efforts,
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  Speaker 2: given what we're going through again with the president?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, we need to see him. The late queen said,
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  Speaker 3: I have to be seen to be believed in. We
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  Speaker 3: need to see him or his son. The royal family is.
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  Speaker 4: Going through a business, like all families, I mean, they've
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  Speaker 4: got deserters in their ranks.
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  Speaker 3: They've got serious illness. So, to me.
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  Speaker 4: I've got a lot of patience. I think the king
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  Speaker 4: loves this country and will come.
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  Speaker 3: And Mr. Carney, our prime minister, has, as far as I.
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  Speaker 4: Can tell, a very good relationship with him, which is
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  Speaker 4: also something new for the Liberal Party, a Liberal Party government.
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  Speaker 3: And we do need to see him, or we need
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  Speaker 3: the reminders.
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  Speaker 4: That we have this evolved system of a hereditary monarchy
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  Speaker 4: that doesn't do us, I don't think, any.
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  Speaker 3: Harm, but a lot of good.
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  Speaker 4: But he's a guy that, as far as I know,
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  Speaker 4: is still undergoing chemotherapy, and I'm satisfied to take what
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  Speaker 4: we can of him. His going to the States a
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  Speaker 4: few months ago and giving that extraordinary speech to Congress,
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  Speaker 4: he was speaking for us too, whether they would just
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  Speaker 4: want to call him the King of England or not,
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  Speaker 4: but that was our sovereign leader stating some basic home
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  Speaker 4: truths in the lion's den, including about responsibilities of government
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  Speaker 4: and checks and balances, all of which seem to be
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  Speaker 4: going by the wayside in that country on the eve
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  Speaker 4: of their 250th anniversary. So to me, the $ 20 bill
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  Speaker 4: with our king on it is a positive thing. And
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  Speaker 4: I think it probably has more acceptance now than it
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  Speaker 4: would have even just a few years ago when— the
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  Speaker 4: way these emotions go on what we think our country
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  Speaker 4: should be like.
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  Speaker 3: Right now, I think the monarchy is quite safe.
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  Speaker 2: And don't forget the king reminded Trump of the War
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  Speaker 2: of 1812. That was a dramatic moment as well. Asserting
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  Speaker 2: his sovereignty over that country as well in that speech
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  Speaker 2: at the state dinner. Okay, let's leave it there. John Fraser,
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  Speaker 2: author of The Governor's General, An Intimate History of Canada's
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  Speaker 2: Highest Office. Nice to see you, sir. Thanks for coming on.