The Next Governor General? Tyee Readers Have a Lot of Opinions

Since Julie Payette resigned as Governor General following allegations of harassment and bullying, there’s been much debate about who should replace her, as well as questions about the future of the position.

So naturally, we put our finger to the wind and took a reader poll. We asked who you thought should get the job, expecting interesting and thought-provoking responses. True to fashion, you didn’t disappoint.

Turns out you have a lot of opinions about Canada’s largely symbolic head of state, submitting over 200 responses.

(We must note that Tyee polls aren’t scientific and aren’t intended to be seen as representative of B.C. public opinion. They’re simply quick and engaging snapshots of our readers’ opinions.)

Tyee readers performed a civic service in doing some of the preliminary legwork for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s search for a replacement. Many of our readers’ picks dived into Canadian cultural trivia and they included a real who’s who of notable people in this country.

Payette was a former astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency, and another well-known Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield, came recommended highly, possibly because, as one reader said, “What are the odds that two astronauts could turn out to be jerks?”

And a number of you were concerned about the employment prospects of recent Canadian resident Prince Harry — with some readers recommending him for the position, and others begging that he not be appointed.

Other nominees (and there were so many) included public figures such as author Margaret Atwood and environmentalist David Suzuki, and high-profile political figures and former Liberal MPs Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott.

Other nominees included Nardwuar the Human Serviette, groundhog Manitoba Merv, “Donald Duck’s girlfriend Daisy Duck” and Conrad Black. Ernie Coombs a.k.a. Mr. Dressup, was also nominated, but the fact he’s been dead for 20 years makes him an unlikely choice. (Read the rest of the responses here.)

The poll also sparked a larger discussion about what it means to have an office of the Governor General in the 21st century, and whether it’s an institution worth keeping. As it turned out, the second most popular choice was no one.

Words that often came up to describe the position were “archaic,” “anachronism,” “outdated,” “relic,” “useless,” “pointless” and “undemocratic.”

Many readers wondered why Canada even still has a Governor General. Some called the role and the $290,000 annual salary a “waste of money.”

The $300,000 yearly pay (+all other office pay/expenses), would be more effective if given directly to the people & programs the GG spends time “championing.”

Some noted the irony of a supposedly free and independent sovereign nation requiring a monarch (or the symbol of a monarch) an ocean away to form government. As one reader noted, “Time to grow up. Royalty, really!”

The office of the Governor General is a vestige of Canada’s subservience to the British Crown, and we’d be better off without it. It does not meaningfully provide a check on the power of the House of Commons in any realistic way, and it just costs money to maintain that could be better spent elsewhere. Get rid of the GG and I’d bet Canada would barely notice.

It’s an anachronism persisting from colonial times. It’s now strictly ceremony and theatre. The few actually significant duties could be better handled by a senior civil servant accountable to guidelines mandated by Parliament.

Long past time to dump this expensive anachronism from our colonial past when Canada was ruled by British Royalty. As a free and independent nation, with our own constitution it’s the ideal time to move on. If the Queen wants a ceremonial tie to Canada let her foot the bill.

Someone brought the lieutenant-governors into it, too.

I think it is time Canada abandoned this whole group: Governor General and all the Lieutenants. We are not in need of the Queen’s permission to do anything. What good could all that money do for those living below the poverty line?

Many noted that exit of an unpopular Governor General presents a unique opportunity:

The resignation of Julie Payette provides us an opportune time to rid ourselves of the monarchy. It is an institution whose time has come and gone. This would mean opening up Canada’s Constitution, and making ourselves a republic, which, in reality, our country is anyway.

While the position is empty, it’s the ideal time to do away with it. The Governor General, and the provincial Lieutenant Governors, are an anachronism and keep Canada tied to a royalist tradition that has long since faded to the point of being an embarrassment in a democratic society.

Some readers said that it is time for Canada, a country that claims to be serious about reconciliation with First Nations, to appoint the first Indigenous Governor General.

[Canada’s] relationship with the Queen goes back to the early 1700s as well as the treaties [that] were signed with the Crown. Who better to represent the Queen than an Indigenous person?

I think Canada should appoint a well-known and respected Indigenous leader to be our new Governor General. This would really highlight that there are two nations to every treaty, a First Nation and the Queen/Crown/Government of Canada. This would really go a long way to help with reconciliation.

Others noted the position is a holdover from a more explicitly colonial period and should be done away with in a move towards decolonization.

The Governor General’s office is a symbol of colonialism and the continuing struggles First Nations communities experience as a result. We should abolish the office and create an Indigenous equivalent.

I think we should get rid of the position, and our connection to Britain’s monarchy. It’s an outdated, nepotistic system and the fact that we continue to look to the crown for leadership — however symbolic — undermines our efforts to end colonial violence in Canada.

But the top pick and overwhelming choice among Tyee readers?

Former Canadian senator and judge Murray Sinclair. To many readers, he is a highly-respected Indigenous leader who embodies several of the qualities they’d love to see in their symbolic head of state — wisdom, integrity and humility.

When settlers first landed on what we now call Canada, they “negotiated” with the Indigenous people in the name of the Crown to colonize their land. Therefore, an Indigenous person is the logical person to represent the Crown today. Mr. Sinclair is very knowledgeable about Indigenous rights and title, and understands reconciliation.

Canada needs a GG who understands that First Nations agreements with the Crown supersede Canada’s treaties.

Not only will he bring his wide lived experience, but also the respect of a wide variety of Canadians, to the viceregal role which has recently been weakened by the previous GG.

Mr. Sinclair is a very dignified and humble man who has served his community through his work in human and Indigenous rights. His contributions are too numerous to list but can be researched. It is a most appropriate time in this age of “truth and reconciliation” to appoint an honourable representative of the Indigenous people to the viceregal position. He will serve all very conscientiously.

The man is a voice for sanity in all respects.

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Tyee polls are intended as a quick and engaging non-scientific snapshot of our readers’ opinions on various topics that fit with The Tyee’s very broad editorial mandate. They are not intended to be seen as a representative sampling of B.C. opinion. See more polls here.