The choice for GOV GEN.

[48Highlander]

Better yet, Jim Carry

 

[ArmyRick]

Not to be rude, guys, but I was dead serious when I suggested retired General MacKenzie. He served the nation for over 30 years, is internationally known and is a real gentlemen (if you are lucky enough to ever meet him).

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Not to be rude, guys, but I was dead serious when I suggested retired General MacKenzie. He served the nation for over 30 years, is internationally known and is a real gentlemen (if you are lucky enough to ever meet him).

None of which are prerequisites for being a good Governor General.  But I think he does have other assets - most importantly he is intelligent, and has experience dealing with people in other countries/cultures, as well as being well versed in international politics.  I think he'd be an inspired choice.

 

[MdB]

But I think he does have other assets - most importantly he is intelligent, and has experience dealing with people in other countries/cultures, as well as being well versed in international politics.

It's weird cuz Jean got all that: intelligent, dealt with people from other countries/culture and knows about international politics. What's the big deal?

 

[Michael Dorosh]

It's weird cuz Jean got all that: intelligent, dealt with people from other countries/culture and knows about international politics. What's the big deal?

Aside from reporting on foreign politics, what experience does she have in actually being a part of the political dealings?  I would suggest there is a big difference.

 

[Edward Campbell]

The only thing I find even mildly offensive about Michaëlle Jean's appointment is the appalling lack of imagination in the PMO.  Adrienne Clarkson worked so lets have a super-sized Adrienne: more visible, more minority, more telegenic and media savvy, more married to a sock-less intellectual, more, more, more ...

There were many, many nay-sayers when Mme. Clarkson was appointed; for the military family she is, I would argue, the best GG since Vanier - she made the military her own family, as much as he did.  She went places and did things which would have been way beyond the wildest imaginations of Jeanne Sauvé or Romeo LeBlanc - Vancouver's lower east side and Alert, for example.  She polished up an office tarnished by Liberal hacks, flacks and bagmen.

I do not expect Mme. Jean to follow in Mme. Clarkson's footsteps, especially not with regard to her duties as commander-in-chief; it would be nice if I was wrong and this new GG followed some of the (almost) traditions established by her predecessor.  I expect she will want to use her office to highlight other areas of Canadian society and that may be only fair and proper.

Communications seems to me to be increasingly important for all public figures.  The making of the ______ is now the primary occupation of political parties and it (making the leader) has precious little to so with policies and platforms and everything to do with 10 second sound bites and image and message.  Elections, it seems are won on TV - where, I read, an overwhelming majority of Canadians acquire almost all their political information (and they believe Rick Mercer is a good source of information!) - and Mme. Jean is just one arrow in Prime Minister Martin's election quiver.  Contrary to her assertion, she is a token and she will be used as such -that's part of the job and it was no different for Georges Vanier and it is no different for Her Majesty, who is, regularly used (and abused) by the British government (and occasionally by Canada's too).  (Tony Blair shamelessly used and abused the Queen during the whole Princess Di funeral fiasco to strengthen his attachment to her and to focus public discontent towards the Queen - great political management from a master of the art.)

Given the constitutional powers which still reside with the crown one can almost excuse appointing Michener and Sauvé and the like - working politicians with considerable cultural sensitivity re: the workings of a parliamentary democracy.  Given the office it is hard to settle for anyone less than a Massey or a Vanier.  As I said, above, I believe Mme. Clarkson restored some of the requisite dignity to the office - which she applied even as she wore a CADPAT jacket in Kabul - even as she broadened how we (most of us, anyway) 'see' it.  Mme. Jean may do the same but I doubt it - she is a (not so) pale imitation; who's next, an Arab girl from the Weather Channel?

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

I too am willing to give her a chance - I've been reasonably surprised (and impressed) with Clarkson's devotion to her role as C in C of the Armed Forces.

However, there is one niggling point about Jean that continues to annoy me:  her retention of French citizenship.  I know that this is a point of contention for the Legion, and I think it is for me too.  After all, she sought and obtained a French passport after getting married.  This means that we have a French citizen as our de facto Head of State and in nominal command of the CF.  This dual nationality suggests to me dual loyalties and I cannot find this acceptable...  Renounce the French citizenship and we're getting somewhere...

Cheers,

TR

 

[MdB]

This means that we have a French citizen as our de facto Head of State and in nominal command of the CF.

Yeah a Head of State and C in C with no executive power whatsoever. What's the difference? I know this is more a principle or sentimental attachment (and I can talk a lot about the latter...), but in the reality of things, the GG is a PR person, period.

Where would your loyalty be, in Hillier or Clarkson? I know now that military personnel can't even answer to that because it's considered as treason to speak against a superior, be it Hillier, Graham, PM or Clarkson. Now, what is what? It really is in the contract and effective upon signature, but does that really makes sense? I know it's something to accept and I am willing to abandon this right to speak as a citizen, but really, there's some principles that are really out of the loop when transposed in the reality. Just look at Puzzle Palace and tell me that's not true after.

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

Yeah a Head of State and C in C with no executive power whatsoever

Strictly speaking, that's not true - there are a lot of residual powers left with the GG's office, as may have been vividly illustrated during the recent minority government fracas.

However, you're missing my point.  I feel that the person occupying the GG's office should have a single loyalty - to Canada - and don't believe that the head of state (powerless or not) should hold the citizenship of another nation.  It gives the perception of divided loyalties and in a "PR heavy" position, this cannot be a good thing.  I'll restate my position - she should sever any connection to France.

Cheers,

TR

 

[MdB]

Strictly speaking, that's not true - there are a lot of residual powers left with the GG's office, as may have been vividly illustrated during the recent minority government fracas.

It has not been vividly illustrated because the Liberal administration is still there clinging. The GG would not have by herself brought down the government, it would have been asked, from the Commons to bring it down, thus empowering her to do it. If it's not what's written in the Constitution or laws, the reality is that she has no deciding power, but in her own office.

However, you're missing my point.   I feel that the person occupying the GG's office should have a single loyalty - to Canada - and don't believe that the head of state (powerless or not) should hold the citizenship of another nation.   It gives the perception of divided loyalties and in a "PR heavy" position, this cannot be a good thing.   I'll restate my position - she should sever any connection to France.

Now, after some thinking, I agree that it must not hold both citizenship, it's kind of misleading. The perceived highest position in Canada should not be equivocal.

 

[edadian]

If her second citizenship wasn't French but American, British or Australian would you be still demanding her to give it up? Or is this more Francophobia.

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

I'd feel exactly the same way if it were American citizenship, but (perhaps - I'll need to think about it) less so if British or Australian because of the nature of the office's role as a representative of the Crown.

I've served extensively alongside the French Army and have no love lost for France, but that doesn't enter into it in this case.

 

[tig3r]

i think it was somewhere in the toronto star where i read a statement which went something like this "...do people not have a life?...we have a new governor general...stop complaining and give her a chance..."

 

[I_am_John_Galt]

i think it was somewhere in the toronto star where i read a statement which went something like this "...do people not have a life?...we have a new governor general...stop complaining and give her a chance..."

It was a nakedly political Liberal appointment: what else would you expect from the Toronto Star?

 

[Gunner]

According to Garth Pritchard, the new GG is anti-military.

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2005/pritchard082305.htm

General Anti-Canadian Military?
By Garth Pritchard
Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Kandahar, Afghanistan-- Word of the appointment of the controversial Haitian-born, Quebec separatist-supporting Michaëlle Jean as Canada's new Governor General by Prime Minister Paul Martin has reached Canadian troops in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Canada Free Press reporter Garth Pritchard, embedded with the troops in Kandahar, for one, is not amused.

The following is a message, Pritchard, an award-wining documentary filmmaker sent back to the home front.

Canadian troops are in Afghanistan to help with security for the elections being held in September.

Our soon-to-be Governor General, Ms. Michaëlle Jean, will become the Commander in Chief of Canada's Military.

I am a Canadian documentary filmmaker.  I feel it necessary to point out that on numerous occasions we have attempted to have documentaries featuring Canada's spectacular positive military contributions in hot spots around the world broadcast on The Passionate Eye - the very one with which Ms. Jean was affiliated.

CBC is our national broadcaster, whose mandate is to show Canadians about Canadians, and Ms. Jean was host of The Passionate Eye a CBC vehicle to broadcast documentaries from Canada and around the world.

We produce documentaries showcasing the superb work that our Canadian military men and women perform around the globe.

In spite of fitting directly within their published parameters, we were met with consistent refusals from Ms. Jean's The Passionate Eye to broadcast these award-winning Canadian documentaries.  Acquiring Producer Jerry McIntosh refers to them as 'propaganda' and will not run them.

Once she takes office as Governor General, Michaëlle Jean will become Commander in Chief of Canada's military.

I have great respect for the office of Canada's Governor General, and I take serious issue with Ms. Jean's apparent anti-military sentiments.

Canada Free Press columnist Garth Prtitchard, is an award-winning documentary filmmaker living in Alberta.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Good find.

So in addition to renouncing her foreign citizenship, I would feel much better with a statement from her regarding what she feels the state of the military is, and what she plans to do in her role as commander-in-chief.

 

[Cloud Cover]

Good find.

So in addition to renouncing her foreign citizenship, I would feel much better with a statement from her regarding what she feels the state of the military is, and what she plans to do in her role as commander-in-chief.

Re-invade Haiti?

It would be nice if the current GG might speak publicly about what her replacement's role ought to be... just to set the expectation so that we can all measure with some accuracy the gravity of the impending failure.

 

[jmacleod]

CBC is no friend of the Military, here, the US, the UK, and in particular, Israel. CBC is a PR operation
whose main activity on a daily basis is making the Martin government look good. Once the Liberals
decide to recall the House of Commons, the CBC "lockout" will vanish within minutes and we, if
we are for some reason compelled to listen or watch, what is known in Journalist trades, as the
"corpse" will be the subject to various levels of spin (also known as bullshit). CBC should be sold
off - Chretien really detested the CBC who also detested him. CBC were scared shitless of Trudeau
however. The "lockout" is caused by their plan to contract out - the strange thing about the
situation however is that the Martin government is considering contracting out hundreds of
functions, which from a business perspective, makes a lot of sense in my opinion. MacLeod

 

[mdh]

Is it any surprise that Jean is anti-military? Having worked hand-in-glove with that conveyor belt of anti-American "propaganda" at the Passionate Eye (or should we call it the Passionate Lie) could she have been anything but anti-military. Anyone who has spent more than 10 seconds at Radio Canada is generally speaking anti-military, sovereignist and leftist.

JMacleod notes that the CBC was terrified of Trudeau. Trudeau would never have sanctioned this appointment because he knew a separatist when he saw one, and he would never have allowed anyone near the federal government who had been even remotely seen consorting with FLQ.

cheers, mdh

 

[jmacleod]

I am not sure that the CGG designate is actually "anti-military" - probably never gave it much
thought - and you are right, Trudeau would have appointed someone else, but the politics
of the appointment are smart, if you are sitting in the PMO, and focused on more seats in
downtown Montreal - which is fact is all the PMO crowd actually think about, politics and the
upcoming election (probably early 'Spring, 2006). But the fact is, life being what it is, (there
are no absolutes except death), Martin could be defeated in the next session, if the NDP wake
up to discover they've been screwed. I don't think Martin's guys expected any flak about the
CGG appointment in any event, but will never admit it. I am hoping the situation works out,
the lady meets the Prince of Darkness, and lives "happily ever after" (or something like that).
MacLeod