The following was written as a letter to the editor in reply to an opinion piece called “It’s time to decide if we need a Governor General at all.” Since the newspaper chose not to publish this letter, I’ll do it myself.
In the 2020 Democracy Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Canada ranks number 5 behind Norway, Iceland, Sweden, and New Zealand and is listed as a full democracy. For comparison, the United Kingdom is ranked number 16 on a lower tier of full democracies and the United States comes in as number 25 and falls into the category of flawed democracies right behind France. I suspect that the flaw in the US case has to do with such voter suppression issues such as gerrymandering and the strange way that the President is chosen which does not necessarily follow the popular vote.
Why is this ranking of Canada significant? An examination of the top five countries reveals that four of them are constitutional monarchies including Canada. This points to the strength of this type of governance model. I will admit that the fact of a monarchy is not the only indicator of democratic strength, but it must stand as a key part of the process. A neutral head of state tends to keep governments more stable. Why would we want to throw that away? The cry that because we have a Governor General approved by the British monarch we are not “sovereign” enough is a spurious argument. It is the Canadian Prime Minister who selects and nominates the Governor General. I cannot imagine the Queen or her successors refusing this recommendation. Canada also has its own Constitution which was devised and approved in Canada (except of course by Quebec) as well as a strong Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Both of which point to a truly Canadian style of democracy.
And if we replace the present system, what would it be? A presidency and all the political hoopla that would cause? It would undoubtedly be an elected president and would produce just another politician who would have to be given certain powers and privileges. If you are thinking that the upkeep of the Governor General is expensive, wait until you see the cost of a presidency. The US, France, and other presidential democracies each spend millions of dollars, euros, etc. on the upkeep of their presidents, not only while they are in office but long afterward. By comparison, I would think that a Governor General is a bargain. No special airplanes to carry the around (they share aircraft provided by the Canadian Forces and used for other purposes). No 24 hour a day dedicated security force, just an RCMP escort when required.
And then there would be the wrangling over the changes to the Constitution and the undoubted dissent and demand for other changes. As we have seen from earlier attempts to make such changes, it’s not easy. How would we get all provinces to agree to a such a set of constitutional changes? And how would all of this impact our position as one of the top democracies in the world?
The answer in my opinion is to maintain the current system of an independent Governor General and the stability it brings, as well as ranking as one of the best democracies in the world.
Right on Gord!
ReplyDeleteYour key point, as I see it, Gord, is that it is next to impossible to change our Constitution on a matter as important as the Head of State, so it won't happen any time soon. In addition,Canadians would need to agree on what would replace the GG. Good luck with that. In any event, most GGs have played their role well.
ReplyDeleteConcur with Mike Young. Our GG institution has served Canada very well, in particular when you look at the likes of Governor General Vanier, who was universally loved and respected.
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