feelgood... the speaker as it stands is someone from the house that is appointed to the position by the PM. This person is usually an MP from the party in power.
If we get rid of the GG we would be ridding ourselves of our Head of State (distinctly different from the PM who is the Head of the Government). If we were to grant the actual powers of the GG to the speak, I would require that position to be either a) appointed by the PM but be someone from outside the Parliment or b) an elected position.
That said, I hardly think it is right that the head of state of a nation be the arbiter of petty squables and points of order in the House of Commons (the current job of the Speaker).
Regardless, it would take a massive change in the Constitution to do this. Doing so would open a HUGE can of worms (think Meech Lake, Charlottown Accord and even the repatriation of the British North America Act). As I said, before it will take a lot of political will and a PM with a personality no less as big as Trudeau to force that kind of change through (and I don't see anyone of that stature now or even on the horizon).
So the answer is yes, we could make Canada a republic but at what cost?
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"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke
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