Michaelle Jean, Governor General of Canada

I should be reading Robert Wright's A Short History Of Progress; instead, I'm blogging about the comments made in a Globe and Mail forum about PM Martin's appointment of Michaelle Jean as our next Governor General (GG).

While most were delighted about the appointment, others were less enthused. The extreme comments being the 'let's get rid of the position completely' to 'she's a journalist and therefore she automatically doesn't qualify,' 'well, we might as well have Ron Maclean as our GG' and 'why can't we get a Aboriginal Canadian (agreed, but there can only be one person in that position at a time, folks). The other negative comments generally centred around the "why couldn't we appoint a Canadian-born person' and 'Martin's kowtowing to minorities, Quebeckers, women and therefore ignoring white men from the West.'

How quickly some forget. That's not to say that there weren't commenters who defended the decision. But blogging being what it is allows me to research first.

1) Starting with the Right Honourable Vincent Massey in 1952, we've alternated GGs from Quebec and the rest of Canada. I don't really see a problem with that (we are a bilingual country) though if people want to alternate between provinces and territories, I don't see a problem with that either. In any case, Martin may not be changing this recent tradition (for better or worse), but I don't think he's kowtowing to anybody (The timing certainly benefits him, but prominent Quebeckers have been speculated upon these last few weeks anyways).

2) The last 'white, Canadian-born' Governor General was the Right Honorable Romeo LeBlanc, and he stepped down in 1999. Gosh, that's, like, in the last century! It's been such a long time! Get over it, people. By the time Ms. Jean steps down, it'll have barely been a decade. Are our collective memories that short? Oh by the way, EVERY Governor General before Adrienne Clarkson has been 'white.' But then, we aren't looking at the colour of their skin, right? Or appeasing the 'white' population, were we?

3) As for appointing a CBC journalist, skimming the biographies, the only people with prominent journalism experience but no political experience since Massey has been, wait for it, two: Ms. Jean and GG Clarkson. TWO! Jeanne Sauve (sorry, don't know how to add accents) and Romeo LeBlanc served both on Parliament Hill and in journalism. Plus, pre-Massey GGs were usually Earls or Viscounts and such. How does that make them any more qualified to serve as Head of State then Ms. Jean?

4) The last three non-Quebecker GGs (Rt. Hon. Roland Michener,Rt. Hon. Edward Schreyer and Rt. Hon. Ramon Hnatyshyn) were born in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. How's that for not representing the West? If anybody should be pissed, it should be the Maritimers. Everyone before Massey (born in Toronto) were British nationals. Guess what, as our country changes, those who serve as its head should probably change in accordance. Why is that so shocking?

I don't know if Ms. Jean is qualified or not for the position. She's certainly accomplished. I thought GG Clarkson did a fine job serving Canada's interests at home and abroad, as did all of the previous GG. I wish Ms. Jean much success in her position and hope that these next few years she's able to show those naysayers why she was the right choice.