Time To Replace our Governor General

[EternalSunshine]

What would Canadians need to do, what kind of reforms would it take, in order to completely separate from England?
It costs us taxpayers a lot of money - yet I fail to see benefits.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Time To Replace our G

Whatever, Mediana. If being ignored by George Bush was a measure of anything besides Bush's complete lack of manners and yet another show of his total ignorance, I might actually worry about his actions.

To what extent do you want to separate, EternalSunshine? We already have our own constitution and make our own laws. Most of the institutions that tie us to the British crown fulfill other tasks as well, so we would still need them.

In addition to that our connection to Britain serves as well as a member of the Commonwealth. Multilateral institutions like that are very important in this interconnected world.

 

[EternalSunshine]

Re: RE: Time To Replace our G

Most of the institutions that tie us to the British crown fulfill other tasks as well, so we would still need them.

This I honestly don't understand, I wish I did. Could you please give me an example.
Do we need the queen to be the head of State? Even (or especially) if it's on paper only? When I became a a citizen of Canada I had to pledge my loyalty to Queen of England and all her heirs. (I wasn't happy about it, since I don't care much for Royal family, but while we were taking the oath there was this guy behind me who pronounced that "...and her hairs" which made me laugh, I don't think he did it on purpose)

In addition to that our connection to Britain serves as well as a member of the Commonwealth. Multilateral institutions like that are very important in this interconnected world.

OK, this makes sense to me.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Time To Replace our G

The Commonwealth is probably the biggest example of it, but there are a lot of other areas of cooperation within other agencies...Nato, UN, G7 etc. Britain is also a conduit we can use when dealing with the EU because of our relationship.

Having Queen Liz and her heirs (or hairs for that matter) as our official head of state is no big deal. It just means that her rep here (the GG) goes to state funerals etc. Most countries have somebody who does that. In the US it's the VP, for instance.

I see no advantage to changing the system.

 

[EternalSunshine]

Thanks for your answer, Reverend, I respect your opinion. I'm not sure I agree, but I don't know enough about it, I never really gave this matter much thought. Now I probably will.

 

[missile]

The office should be retained for ceremonial purposes and someone should be appointed who will stay within the budget alloted.This lady has put the position into the spotlight[not in a good way,either].She should have stayed with the CBC!

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Time To Replace our G

But we still need somebody who is going to do the work. The previous GGs were not nearly as active. About all they did was go to funerals and rubber stamp political decisions. If you look at what Clarkson has done, she really has revived the office and used it to promote Canada.

Is she free with the cash, but tossing the baby out with disposable diapers isn't the way to go.

The way government spending works (and other governments and large businesses do this too) is that if you want more money in your budget you over-spend. If you want to keep it the same, you spend every penny in your budget. If you don't use all of your budget you will get less next year. It's a systemic problem and nobody has figured out how to fix it.

So give Clarkson a clear mandate, a budget that allows her to fulfill that mandate, and let her work. The next time the position comes open, appoint somebody on qualifications, not patronage.

Nobody is making those suggestions though. Instead everybody screams, "Off with her head!" and nothing happens in the end.

 

[no1important]

Well India is a republic and the Queen is not head of state there yet they are still in the commonwealth. So we can do the same and get our own head of state and still stay in the commonwealth.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Time To Replace our G

India is a slightly different case though because of their history. If we were to scrap the Queen and her rep in Canada we would still be part of the Commonwealth, but we would no longer have the same influence. It would affect our influence in other multilateral organisations too...especially with other members of the Commonwealth.

We'd still need somebody in a position to do what the GG does, likely moreso because we'd have less influence in the Commonwealth, so we'd have to build that influence from another angle.

I really think we're better off addressing the problems with the system we have than switching to something else and starting over.

 

[Jim]

Let's not forget :
The Governor General of Canada is also Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces.

Among her responsibilities, the Governor General:

Appoints the Chief of the Defence Staff on the recommendation of the Prime Minister;
Acts on recommendations from the Minister of National Defence regarding the appointment of Royal Colonels-in-Chief of Canadian Regiment;
Approves new military badges and insignia;
Visits Canadian Forces bases and troops, providing encouragement and leadership;
Presents new colours to the Canadian Forces;
Awards military Honours, such as the Order of Military Merit; Meritorious Service and Military Valour Decorations; Peacekeeping and Special Service Medals;
Signs Commission Scrolls, Retirement Certificates of General Officers, etc.

If Approving new military badges and presenting new colours to the Cdn Forces is worthy of being listed on her site, I wonder what was left behind in the etc.

What a freaken joke this is :?:

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Time To Replace our G

It's that whole soft power thing, Jim. As you grow, you'll learn that it ain't so soft. ;-)

 

[Jim]

Tell us how this GG can turn this "soft power thing" into power that "ain't so soft" in order to benefit Canada.

We have too many levels of government here anyway so this "expense" in my opinion is just a waste of all our money that could be put to much better use with the right people at the right places.

 

[Paranoid Dot Calm]

I would think that 60% of all her expenses are for "security".

She stays at a five-star hotel because it is "secure".

It costs us money to watch our leaders hide from the rest of us.

Maybe it would be cheaper just to rent a Govenor General?
Maybe we could outsource the job to some starvin' Bifafrin?

Calm

 

[Reverend Blair]

Tell us how this GG can turn this "soft power thing" into power that "ain't so soft" in order to benefit Canada.

She basically acts as a PR person for the country, Jim. If you don't think that's worthwhile, consider that every major corporation has a large and well-funded PR department.

The results from that aren't really measurable, but they are very real. That is especially true when it comes to trade and arts programs.

We have too many levels of government here anyway so this "expense" in my opinion is just a waste of all our money that could be put to much better use with the right people at the right places.

The costs would still be the same. Somebody still has to do the job. The thing is to cut the costs without cutting the job. That can be done, but it has to be done carefully.

 

[Jim]

The costs would still be the same. Somebody still has to do the job. The thing is to cut the costs without cutting the job. That can be done, but it has to be done carefully.

Does each province have a queen's representative? If so why?

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Time To Replace our G

Yes every Province has a Queen's representative. They are called Lieutenant Governors. Territories call theirs Commisioners.

Why? Mostly to facilitate communication between Ottawa and the provinces and territories and to act as a PR person for the province or territory they represent.

They have a bevy of official duties, like wielding a rubber stamp and cutting ribbons, and a whack of powers that they never use, but they too are really just PR people. With Lieutenant Governors that tends to go both ways though...they act as PR people for both their province and Ottawa.

 

[DasFX]

Canada must move to some sort of republic style of government and cut off all ties to the monarchy. Sometimes it is time for change. The monarchy served us well when we were a colony, but now we're grown up.

 

[no1important]

Re: RE: Time To Replace our Governor General

Canada must move to some sort of republic style of government and cut off all ties to the monarchy. Sometimes it is time for change. The monarchy served us well when we were a colony, but now we're grown up.

I agree but it is almost impossible to get rid of them.

 

[Martin Le Acadien]

Tell us how this GG can turn this "soft power thing" into power that "ain't so soft" in order to benefit Canada.

She basically acts as a PR person for the country, Jim. If you don't think that's worthwhile, consider that every major corporation has a large and well-funded PR department.

The results from that aren't really measurable, but they are very real. That is especially true when it comes to trade and arts programs.

We have too many levels of government here anyway so this "expense" in my opinion is just a waste of all our money that could be put to much better use with the right people at the right places.

The costs would still be the same. Somebody still has to do the job. The thing is to cut the costs without cutting the job. That can be done, but it has to be done carefully.

Institutions serve a purpose, a continuity of the past with the present and the future. I gotta agree with the rev, change anything and you change the character of the Country, some people want to make a "Canadian Republic"??? To be what? A Mirror of the US? Would be like selling the National Parks to private enterprise! Could you imagine turning the Rideau Canal into a commercial traffic system like the Wellington Canal or the Panama Canal, selling Yellowstone in the States to a Geothermal Electric Company or autioning off Jasper/Banff timber rights?

Some things are sacred.

 

[no1important]

Its only time. Once the 50+ crowd pass away , I can see us getting rid of the monarchy.