Canada's Next Governor-General

Who will be the next Governor-General of Canada?

The only person guaranteed to NOT get the job is the current GG — fabulous Michaelle Jean.

Why, you ask? Because Madame Jean made the mistake of getting a little too big for her britches a couple of months ago and declaring herself the “head of state” of Canada.

The Prime Minister’s Office promptly corrected her — Elizabeth Rex over in Buckingham Palace is Queen of Canada and Head of State. The GG is simply the Queen’s representative here. It’s a little like being Tiger Woods’ caddy (of course we’ll talk more about Tiger — but not right now).

Merveilleux Michaelle finally backed down — but not before head-butting with Stephen Harper over the ego issue a couple of times.

So Madame Jean is out (unfortunately) when her five-year term — has it been that long? — is up next September.

So if The Hottest Governor-General in Canada’s History (trademark) is out, who’s in?

At the risk of getting Stephen Harper pissed off at me too, I’d like to suggest three candidates.

ANNE MURRAY

Canada’s Songbird. A national icon. Down-to-earth but not a frump. Considered the best female celebrity golfer in the world. Plus she can sing the national anthem herself at formal functions.

Why not? Anne’s just published her autobiography (a sure sign she’s ready to turn a page in her life); she will have become an official senior citizen (born June 20, 1945) before the governor-generalship comes open; the job will give her plenty of time for the links in summer; and — most importantly — she’s never been a CBC journalist (although she’s notched some of the highest-rated CBC TV specials in her time).

She would be Canada’s first certified home-grown celebrity GG, although Lord Tweedmuir (GG from 1935 to 1940) was better known as John Buchan, the best-selling British mystery/adventure novelist.

I was about to say she would also be Canada’s first openly gay governor-general — a giant step forward for Canada — but I see Anne has repeatedly denied she’s a lesbian. Oh well, she’d still make a great governor-general, no matter what her sexual orientation.

RICK HANSEN

The Man In Motion, wheelchair-bound since he sustained a paralyzing injury in a car accident when he was 15, secured his place in Canadian history by wheeling around the world between 1985 and 1987.

But he’s really shown his mettle in the two decades since then. He has kept his heroic aura, stayed out of trouble and accidental controversy and stayed on message.

He’s president and CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation, which has raised more than $200 million for programmes and research related to spinal cord injury.

And he’s still a go-to star. Most recently Hansen was featured on the 2009 TV season premiere of the Rick Mercer Report, bungee jumping with Mercer in Whistler, B.C. a few months ago.

So he’s an athlete, a smart guy, a leader — and he’s in a wheelchair. In a lot of ways, that’s better than being gay, image-wise.

EVA AARIAK

I only recently became aware of Eva Aariak, but that’s my problem, not hers.

She’s been premier of the Arctic territory of Nunavut since November 2008 and she’s a very impressive person.

Only 36 now, she’s been a CBC journalist, a businesswoman and, off and on for the better part of a decade, Languages Commissioner of Nunavut before being elected to the territorial Legislative Assembly. And she’s a grandmother.

As Languages Commissioner, she was the one to choose the Inuktitut word for Internet — “ikiaqqivik” — which mean "travelling through layers" and refers to the traditional concept of an Inuit shaman travelling through time and space on spirtual and corporal quests.

She’s worked with Microsoft building an online Inuktitut language; she has pushed initiatives on literacy, publishing and film development in the territory, and she has been a tireless champion of empowering Inuit women in the political process and providing better family services.

Her biggest drawbacks are her young age and – the killer – the fact she’s a former CBC journalist.

It was bad enough having two CBC journalists in a rows as governor general. Three just isn’t going to happen.

But how about this:

Anne Murray serves a five-year term, retiring at age 70. Then Rick Hansen takes over for five years; and Eva Aariak — still only in her 40s — becomes the first Inuit governor-general in 2020.

It makes sense to me. What do you think?

Alan Parker Toronto News 24 

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