An Open Letter to Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette:
Greetings Governor General and Vice Regal Representative of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second. I understand that a whirlwind blew through Ottawa last weekend, and not just the tornado: Your Excellency was profiled by the National Post in a less than flattering light. In short, it said that Your Excellency lacks the proper charisma for your vocation as our head of state.
To be clear, this is not news to me. I have heard such rumours surrounding Your Excellency's tenure for months. Admittedly, this reflects much worse on the party that made the appointment, which is precisely the expose's purpose: a year out from when you, as Governor General, will drop the writ, dissolving Parliament, the National Post is attempting to undermine the ruling party. I agree with their purpose, but not with their methods. Your Excellency could still be a wonderful Governor General.
Being the Vice-Regal Representative in Canada cannot be easy; it is quite the opposite of braving the final frontier of space or reaching for our future beyond the stars. It is much more akin to climbing into a time machine and going back centuries, before modern conventions and liberalizations became the norm. For one as ambitious and accomplished as Your Excellency, it must be deeply frustrating to have ancient traditions and protocols restricting every movement.
A meta-fault lies again at the feet of the party that appointed you Governor General. It was Mackenzie King who first brought low the Viceroy Lord Byng in what was a puerile stunt to get around the Governor General's authority.
And ever since we saw fit to take this Vice Regal Office from the aristocratic class and put it in the hands of commoners, it was fated that one day the appointee would take it upon herself to bring the role in line with her own beliefs instead of vice versa.
But unlike many fellow conservatives, monarchists and traditionalists, I do not say for certain that this is a bad thing. Prime ministers used to be knighted - but our second refused to be; peerages used to be present in Canada - the Nickel Resolution did away with that; and as became clear throughout the late 20th Century, pomp and circumstance changed to accessibility and humanity - how can anyone dismiss Your Excellency's desire to renovate our oldest office?
It is my honest hope that Your Excellency does not step down early from the Governor Generalship. To that end, I have some free advice. First, the fount of honours, signing bills into law, and hosting receptions at Rideau Hall or elsewhere - these are vital to the integrity of the Dominion.
There is no way around this - the sooner Your Excellency accepts these trials as the lifeblood of the office, the sooner Your Excellency's passion projects can be properly addressed.
Second, pick an issue and be vocal about it. The past Governors General have brought new ideas or serious problems to the public's attention, which has spurred action. A great place to do this is through the non-profits that rely on Your Excellency's patronage; also note that the past Governor Generals developed community foundations across the Canada, and the one before gave the CAF special attention. Clearly there's plenty of room for advocacy in this role, Your Excellency.
Finally, invert the pejorative "figurehead" and use Your Excellency's time to reach out to Canadians across our vast land.
These are not political trips or a waste of the public's money - these are the next best thing to royal tours for the sake of reassuring all citizens they are truly part of one country. Please tell us Your Excellency's story of struggle, accomplishment and the projects held dear, from the shores of Alert to the Falls of Niagara and everywhere in between.
There is still room for particular talents and tastes in the role of Governor General. I sincerely hope Your Excellency finds that niche, conquering this challenge like many before.
