Is it time for a change?

I had high hopes, back about three years ago, that Her Excellency Julie Payette would be a great governor-general. She was, I noted, an accomplished woman and could be an inspirational leader. She was not my first choice for the highest Canadian office ~ I thought, back in early 2016, that Chantal Petitclerc would have been the right choice. But I applauded the Trudeau government for a good choice. Was I wrong?

There were some reports, back in 2018, about Governor-General Payette being both frustrated with her duties and having a less than stellar work ethic. But, now there are reports of serious misconduct. In the Globe and Mail, Gary Mason wonders, publicly, if it is time to replace the Governor-General, and eminent Canadian political scientist and constitutional scholar Philippe Lagassé (Carleton University) ruminated on how a government might fire a GG.

Julie Payette seems to be a disappointment, maybe worse ~ perhaps she’s another example of a prime minister (and staff) who doesn’t take the business of the state seriously.

In any event, Sénatrice Petitclerk is still there … just up the road, still serving Canada in the Senate. And she’s still my first choice.