John A. Macdonald is still in a box at Queens Park. One leader says that has to change [Video]

Canada’s first prime minister has been in a box for almost half a decade.

The iconic statue of Sir John A. Macdonald has sat at the foot of the Queen’s Park estate in downtown Toronto for more than 100 years but, during a summer of protests in 2020, it was covered to protect it.

That decision was made by Ontario Speaker Ted Arnott who decided “for its own protection” the statue should be placed in a box.

Two years later, however, the Progressive Conservative government passed a law which took away Arnott’s right to decide the fate of the statue and triggered a stalemate.

“I did have the decision-making authorities to cover it up but I do not have the legislative authority to uncover it at the present time,” Arnott, who will be replaced as Speaker shortly after the election, told Global News.

The legislation passed in 2022 meant a range of decisions that used to rest with the Speaker were …