Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments

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The Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments was established on 4 November 2012 to assist the government of Canada (the Crown-in-Council) with the appointment of the Governor General of Canada, provincial lieutenant governors, and territorial commissioners. The advisory committee on vice-regal appointments was disbanded following the defeat of the Harper Ministry in the 2015 federal election, and remains "dormant" under his successor, Justin Trudeau.[1]

The non-partisan committee consisted of its chairperson—the Canadian Secretary to the Queen (most recently Kevin MacLeod)—as well as two permanent federal delegates, one Anglophone (most recently Robert Watt, citizenship judge and former Chief Herald of Canada) and one Francophone (most recently Jacques Monet, constitutional scholar and member of the Canadian Institute of Jesuit Studies); each served for a time not exceeding six years.[2] For the appointment of a lieutenant governor or commissioner, two additional members drawn from the relevant province or territory would be temporarily added as members;[3][4] each was a member for no longer than six months.[2] A representative from the Office of the Prime Minister acted as an observer only.[2]

Various other groups and individuals were consulted before the committee produced a shortlist of candidates; the recommendations were non-binding,[2] as the appointment of the governor general remains the prerogative of the Canadian monarch acting on the advice of the Prime Minister of Canada, the appointment of the lieutenant governors the prerogative of the governor general acting on the advice of the Prime Minister of Canada, and the appointment of the commissioners the prerogative of the governor general acting on the advice of the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

The Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments grew out of the ad hoc committee established in 2010 for the selection of a new governor general following the tenure of Michaëlle Jean. For the task, Prime Minister Stephen Harper convened a special search group—the Governor General Consultation Committee[5]—which consisted of Sheila-Marie Cook, secretary to the Governor General (the chairperson); Kevin MacLeod; Christopher Manfredi, dean of the Faculty of Arts at McGill University; Rainer Knopff, a political scientist at the University of Calgary; Jacques Monet; and Christopher McCreery, historian and private secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia.[6][7][8] The group, which was described as a "tight circle of monarchists," was instructed to submit a list of non-partisan candidates, each of whom would respect the monarchical aspects of the viceregal office. They conducted extensive consultations with more than 200 people across the country,[8][9] including academics, provincial premiers, current and former political party leaders, former prime ministers, and others, in order to develop a short list of five candidates,[7][10] from which the prime minister would make the final selection.[11]

After reports of a toxic work environment in Rideau Hall during the tenure of Governor General Julie Payette, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government was criticized for not thoroughly vetting Payette prior to her appointment and for not having used the advisory committee to find candidates.[12][13][14] After Payette's resignation in January 2021, a six-member advisory panel was struck to seek out candidates for the vice-regal position and develop a shortlist of names to give the prime minister. This committee consists of Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, acting Clerk of the Privy Council Janice Charette, Inuit leader Natan Obed, Université de Montréal rector Daniel Jutras, interim Canada Post chair Suromitra Sanatani and Judith A. LaRocque, a former Secretary to the Governor General.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ Queen Elizabeth without Canadian secretary as Liberal government mulls future of job http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/queen-canadian-secretary-royal-visits-heritage-1.4295322
  2. ^ a b c d Office of the Prime Minister of Canada (4 November 2012). "Terms of reference: Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  3. ^ Cheadle, Bruce (4 November 2012), Harper creates new panel to ensure 'non-partisan' vice regal appointments, The Canadian Press, archived from the original on 7 February 2013, retrieved 4 November 2012
  4. ^ Office of the Prime Minister of Canada (4 November 2012). "PM announces new Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  5. ^ Canada News Centre. "Governor General Consultation Committee". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  6. ^ Galloway, Gloria; Ibbitson, John (8 July 2010), "Next governor-general unveiled", The Globe and Mail, retrieved 10 July 2010
  7. ^ a b "David Johnston: a worthy viceroy", The Globe and Mail, 9 July 2010, archived from the original on 10 September 2010, retrieved 9 July 2010
  8. ^ a b Curry, Bill (11 July 2010), "Selection panel ordered to find non-partisan governor-general: PMO", The Globe and Mail, archived from the original on 16 July 2010, retrieved 11 July 2010
  9. ^ Ditchburn, Jennifer (28 June 2010), "Tight circle of monarchists helping Harper pick next Governor General", Winnipeg Free Press, archived from the original on July 8, 2010, retrieved 10 July 2010
  10. ^ Office of the Prime Minister of Canada (8 July 2010). "PM welcomes appointment of David Johnston as Governor General Designate". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 12 July 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  11. ^ Gillespie, Kevin (29 December 2015), Osgoode Constitutional Law Society — Crown & Constitution Speakers' Series: Monarchy in Action, Philosophia regis, retrieved 29 December 2015
  12. ^ "Trudeau consults Queen on process for picking a new governor general". CBC News. June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  13. ^ Messamore, Barbara J. (January 26, 2021). "What the Payette episode teaches us about fit and the Governor General". Policy Options. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  14. ^ "Skepticism of celebrity should be a key factor in governor general pick, former advisory panel member says". CBC News. January 24, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  15. ^ "Short list of potential governor general candidates will go to Trudeau in 'next few days'". National Post. Canadian Press. June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2021.

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