After questions from the media were prompted in April 2011 by the introduction to the British parliament of a private member 's bill seeking to change British royal succession from agnatic to absolute , Prime Minister Stephen Harper was criticised for his ambivalence toward amendment of the line of succession in Canada , being contrasted with Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key and Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Nick Clegg . Harper stated : " The successor to the throne is a man . The next successor to the throne is a man ... I do n't think Canadians want to open a debate on the monarchy or constitutional matters at this time . That 's our position . I just do n't see that as a priority for Canadians right now at all . " On 28 October 2011 , at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Perth , Western Australia , the heads of government of the 16 Commonwealth realms announced that they would introduce legislation to end the primacy of males over females and the disqualification of persons married to Catholic spouses in the succession to the Crown . In a letter to the other realms ' heads of government , prior to the Perth Agreement , British Prime Minister David Cameron additionally proposed to limit the requirement to obtain the monarch 's permission to marry to the first six people in line to the throne
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011
Succession to the Throne Act, 2013