Duties of the Governor General
As part of the ceremonial role, the Governor General receives dignitaries and heads of state, represents the government at a variety of artistic, scientific, and sport events, and may use the office to support charities or other worthy endeavours. The Prime Minister could carry out these duties, except that this position already involves a very heavy workload and, in addition, a Governor General is seen as a more neutral non-partisan figure, better suited to representing all Canadians than a Prime Minister who heads up a political party. Moreover, having these duties carried out by a Governor General separates pomp from power and that is a healthy distinction.
The discretionary powers of the Governor General are remnants of the prerogative power of the Crown and they reflect the notion that the Queen is to act as the guardian of the constitution and protector of the public interest. It is, for example, the Governor General’s responsibility to ensure that we always have a Prime Minister in office and a government in power. Election results are not always clear-cut and it sometimes falls to the Governor General to consider whether another election is warranted or whether another political party should be given an opportunity to form a government.
Problems that arise without a Governor General
Without a Governor General, what happens if a Prime Minister dies in office? In the American system, a Vice-President has been elected and automatically assumes the office of President. In our system, the Governor General would confer with the political party of the deceased PM, appoint its nominee as interim PM, and give the party the necessary time to hold a convention and select a new head of the party and PM. This process allows for the careful consideration of the best person for the unexpected job opening. In contrast, U.S. Vice-Presidents have often been chosen to “balance the ticket” and are far from the second best person for the job. Any system that could have led to President Dan Quayle or (potentially) President Sarah Palin is not one that inspires confidence.
Without a Governor General, we would need to set down rules to deal with situations such as how much time has to go by before a party in power, having lost a vote of confidence in the Commons, is entitled to seek re-election. We would need to appoint someone to act as “Grand National Host” to fulfill the many social and ceremonial duties that should not be added to the Prime Minister’s job. But the office of Governor General already handles these duties very well, building as it does on centuries of tradition and pageantry. Rather than being an historical anachronism, the position of Governor General continues to be of practical value and benefit.
Governor General without the Monarchy?
There are sometimes suggestions that Canada sever the connection with the monarchy but carry on with a Governor General position. The nature of such a severed position is unclear but usually involves direct election, perhaps for a seven year term. The potential for conflict with two elected positions – Governor General and Prime Minister – seems all too likely. In any event, since making such a fundamental change in our system of government wold require the approval of all 10 provinces, there is little chance that it would proceed. Nor is such a change necessary since, as noted above, the link to the monarchy in no way detracts from Canada’s independence. It only reflects the fact that our governing system is a constitutional monarchy. That system, with a separate head of state, provides a number of practical benefits and merits our support.