Governor General

[murgen]

Some controversy coming out of the Premiers Conference regarding the newly appointed Governor General. Seems that Martin himself called Ralph to discuss some of the comments that were made regarding her and her husbands perceived stand on separatism.
From what I have heard her say and what is written about her past comments it does seem as though she does give the impression that she is a Quebeccer first and foremost to it does make me wonder how much she knows or cares about the rest of Canada.

[cowman]

I guess my comment would be who really cares? A do nothing position that just costs us more money? No worse than the last loser we had?
I wonder if the day will ever come when we get over this idea that we need a representative of a queen who means zero to this country? We're supposed to be a country not some colony for some old degenerate bluebloods that should have been turfed about three hundred years ago?
We should have cleaned out all those old parasites about the same time the Frenchmen did!

[cowman]

My response is that I also feel its time to re-evaluate the need for the position but as long as we have one, it would be very nice if they would be chosen for their ability to represent all of Canada, and someone who has openly said that first and formost she is a Quebecer really hasn't done the rest of the country justice. If she is to be the representative of the Queen in Canada then she better realize that there is a lot more to Canada than just one province.

[FarmRanger]

She has all the qualifications the Liberal government is looking for. She is a female visible minority working for the CBC. Substance isn't as important as appearance, unfortunately.

[FarmRanger]

window dressing seems to be in vogue vs substance these days !!! Not much wonder the rest of the world thinks we Canadians are a bit goofy !

[cakadu]

Does anyone have any idea as to what sort of severance package the outgoing GG is going to be entitled to? How in heaven's name is she going to be expected to live on whatever the future brings, given the lifestyle she has lead at our expense over the last 6 years?

If memory serves me right, didn't Jean Sauve do a fairly decent job of being the queen's rep here in Canada? At least she didn't spend like there was no end to the money.

[cakadu]

I always felt that Jean Suave did an excellent job, she was gracious, and carried out her role with the dignity it required. I would imagine that Adrienne Clarkson will receive a fairly hefty pension, not a severence. Her term was extended by one year at the request of the Prime Minister, so she isn't getting the boot ! Likely she will continue to enjoy full health benefits etc., free travel etc.
This new one will also have a husband in two and her little girl and likely a nanny or two.
If we need the position, it seems that there were other individuals that have served their country in some form or another that would have been excellent choices, of course some of them are likely westerners and that would never do !!!

[cowman]

They say this govenor general has a husband who was a pretty staunch supporter of some radical Quebec seperatists? I caught a bit of drivel on CBC where they were introducing her and her husband...the husband looked old enough to be her grandfather and had stringy old gray hair! But why not? A joke couple for a joke position!
She had a little blurb about how she had quite an agressive agenda and would probably need a fairly hefty budget to carry it out!
Then Martin gets up and babbles about what a fine example of the "new" Canada she is all about! Enough to make you want to go out and throw up! My own opinion is if this is the "new" Canada, you can have it?
It looks like the Liberals have pretty well got it made? The Conservatives are so low in the polls they might not be the official opposition after the next election? Gomry is yesterdays news and the people of central Canada sure don't want to elect the "scary" Conservatives!
Hopefully the Liberals will win in a big way and finally some people out here will realize it is time to get the hell out of this gong show!

[cowman]

cowman, there are lots of husbands with stringy grey hair that are old enough to be their wives grandfather !!! See them quite often in my travels, so that is the least of my worries. As you say the whole appointment is a joke. The Governor Generals budget should be open for public debate by all parties, but that will never happen. I was aghast at the nerve of a newly appointed vice regal representative having the audacity to make any comment on the size of her budget !!! You can bet she will need her 'digs' renovated as well.

Martin is doing everything possible to appeal to the NEW CANADIAN, guess the rest of us are chopped liver.

[cakadu]

What precisely is this so-called new Canadian supposed to look like or resemble? Martin had better be careful for what he wishes for as one would think that along with a new Canadian would come some new thinking and new expectations from our elected officials.

Yes Ms. Clarkson stayed at the behest of Martin, but would that necessarily equate to a whole lot bigger pension etc? She has lived very royally for the past 5 years - certainly better than the majority of the rest of us could hope to live (if we desired such a thing) - and that should be good enough.

Free flights to the cabin on the lake should end I would think.

Is it any wonder that there is a growing call for the abolishment of both the monarchy and the offices it includes in the Commonwealth? I don't know how I feel on the issue, but I know that there is growing momentum to phase out the old system.

What was the reason behind having the GG as well as Lieutenant Governors in each province? Surely one person could do it all, especially with the way the budget has grown in the past few years.

[cakadu]

Linda, my guess is that the Lt Governors were put in place to ensure that the bidding of the monarch was upheld, and likely they answered to the Gov. General at one time. Sorry, I used to know all these things, having had them pounded into my head by my schoolmarm' mother.

The 'new canadian' issue is a bit disconcerting. I think we have some very influential, and respected FIRST CANADIANS that could have filled that role very well. I am thinking of Tom Jackson for one.

He has done one heck of a lot more for this country than Adrienne and the new GG will ever do, and he is still working tirelessly for causes such as homeless etc.

Good Lorg, even Stompin' Tom is more deserving than this so called new canadian !!! At least he knew enough about the entire country to write songs about it !!!

[grassfarmer]

I'm kind of intrigued by this story - can anyone tell me if any other Commonwealth country has a Governer General post. I've never heard of it anywhere else but equally I wasn't aware that Canada had one until I moved here. I personally think the Queen is a great figure head and well worth the money it costs to keep her - why Canada needs a "junior queen" to be her ceremonial double is not immediately obvious. In the UK the Government is answerable to the Queen supposidly - why not make the Canadian Government the Queen's reps here and do away with the GG post?

[grassfarmer]

grassfarmer, I wonder if the Queen would want many of our federal legislators to be her representatives !!!
I don't know if Australia has a Governor General or not, but I do think it is time that Canada eliminated the position. I grew up with parents that paid great respect to the Royal Family and I am not against the monarchy. I feel that the Queen as a figure head is not something we need to change but its time we did away with the GG position when all it is by the look of things is a political pat on the head for somebody that the Liberals think will enhance their popularity in Quebec.
It would seem that we could have a member of the Royal family here for special occasions without having a vice regal representative costing us millions each year.
We have been a nation for well over a century so its time we acted like one.

[farmers_son]

There are Governor Genenals in each of the following members of the Commonwealth: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St Christopher and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

See:

http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page345.asp

Emrald1: Re your comment “when all it is by the look of things is a political pat on the head for somebody that the Liberals think will enhance their popularity in Quebec.” It is my impression that the Liberals picked someone that will enhance federalist cause in Quebec. Yesterday on Question Period a journalist from Le Devour basically came out and said the appointment of Michaelle Jean to Governor General will hurt the separatist cause in Quebec.

I recall that there were attempts to have Jean Beliveau accept the Governor General position but he refused. Having a Governor General who comes from Quebec should increase the visibility of the position in that province and presuming she does a good job will therefore build support for the federalist cause.

[farmers_son]

Again, farmers_son the government is making a decision for all of Canada based on trying to win over, appease or otherwise cater to Quebec, and that is something I do not agree with.
If we need a Governor General the person should be chosen for their background as a GREAT CANADIAN, not which province they will be able to sway !!! You can bet your boots that Martin never gave any serious thought to appointing anyone from a region other than Quebec, although there are deserving and well qualified individuals in every province I am sure.