Governor General Michaelle Jean and Prince Charles speak with veterans following a Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa, Wednesday November 11, 2009.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is currently seeking a replacement for Michaëlle Jean as the personal representative of the Queen in Canada. It is not a job anyone can apply for, however, nor is it one that should be lobbied for. The decision regarding who will serve as governor-general and commander-in-chief of Canada after Ms. Jean's term ends later this year rests entirely with one individual, Mr. Harper, in his exercise of royal prerogative powers. The Prime Minister, much to his credit, has sought to breathe life into Canada's constitutional monarchy. He has also previously advocated improving Canada's national institutions and reforming the process for government appointments. He is now in a position to strengthen the Crown by ensuring the office of governor-general is filled in a manner that introduces some measure of transparency and recognizes the highest degree of merit.
Appointments to the Supreme Court are also ultimately made by the prime minister of the day, but some attempts at transparency have been made in fits and starts with recent appointments. In some instances, nominees have been vetted by a Supreme Court Selection Panel. They have also answered questions before an ad-hoc all-party committee of the House of Commons. This latter process was, according to Mr. Harper's office, not only to aid transparency around the appointment process itself but also to "promote public understanding of the individual nominee and the role of the Court." Mr. Harper should also seek to consult on the appointment of the next governor-general, and to add transparency to the process. One respectful way to accomplish that would be to establish an apolitical advisory committee representative of Canadian society, a consultative body that would diminish the temptation of partisanship and politically correct gestures. Every sign, however, suggests Mr. Harper would rather go it alone.
It is disappointing that such a reform has apparently been rejected. The role of Queen's representative is an important one, symbolically but also constitutionally. The job should go to individuals who are held in national esteem even before their installation, and therefore are considered well qualified, independent and free of political influence. Unfortunately, that has not always been the case. Other attributes are also important, including awareness and respect for the monarchy and the armed forces, and skill at diplomacy.
Ultimately, Canadians need to have confidence that the governor-general can be trusted for his or her good judgment, will place the interests of the country first, and will inspire them by his or her own example. Obviously, Mr. Harper could make a successful appointment without any formal consultation process - as he did yesterday with the new Alberta Lieutenant-Governor, retired colonel Donald Ethell - but, with one or two notable exceptions, the track record in recent decades is not altogether encouraging.