Category: Education

Conservative Leadership Candidates and the Monarchy: Scott Aitchison

4/5/2022

Another Conservative Party leadership
candidate has replied to my survey. This
time it is Scott Aitchison who is the MP for
Parry Sound-Muskoka. As a refresher these
are the questions that were sent out:

1. What are your views on the monarchy?
2. As prime minister would you make use
of the Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal
Appointments that was active between
2010 and 2015?
3. In 2019 the government cancelled a program that mailed
physical copies of the Queen's portrait to any Canadian who
asked free of charge. Would you restore this program?
4. The government also removed the Queen's portrait from
the lobby of the Foreign Affairs Office and replaced it with
paintings by Alfred Pallen. Would you find a way to have both
paintings and portrait share the ample wall space of the
Foreign Affairs Office lobby?
5. The current government has not committed to supporting
the creation of a Platinum Jubilee Medal to mark Her
Majesty's 70th year on the throne. What are your views on
this?

Mr. Aitchison's reply is as follows:

"I am proud of our Queen and a devout monarchist. My answers to each if your
questions is a resounding yes and I am frustrated by the current government’s
dismissive attitude toward Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee."

As always I checked Hansard to see if the candidate has talked
about the monarchy at any point. Mr. Aitchison has not. In
fairness he was first elected in 2019 and the last few years
have not been normal as far as debates in parliament go.

Next I checked to see if Mr. Aitchison has comments on the
monarchy in public. As it turns out he spoke warmly about
Prince Philip's career shortly after his passing.

Scott Aitchison is a solid monarchist candidate.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Conservative Leadership Candidates and the Monarchy: Leona Alleslev

3/26/2022

Once again there is a federal Conservative
leadership race underway. As has become
my practice I have sent surveys out to all of
the leadership candidates to get their views
on Canada's monarchy. The first candidate
to get back to me is Leona Alleslev. Mrs.
Alleslev is the former MP for Aurora-Oak
Ridges-Richmond Hill, a position she held
from 2015-2021. This is her first candidacy
in a leadership race.

The questions have been somewhat expanded this year due to
a variety of reasons.

What are your views on the monarchy?

"As someone who holds a “Queen’s commission” to serve as
an air force officer - I take my oath to Queen and country
very seriously. As I am sure you know - our Queen is our
head of state - and commander in chief of our military -
which is separate from our head of government - the Prime
Minister. I think it is critically important that those two roles
remain separate and that Canadians continue to understand
why they are. I had a portrait of the Queen in both my
constituency office and my hill office the entire time I was an
MP. I was also awarded the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award
by Prince Edward in 1988 and will sing the words to God
Save the Queen as well as O Canada."

As prime minister would you make use of the
Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments
that was active between 2010 and 2015?

"I don’t know enough about the advisory committee of vice
regal appointments to answer your question - but Vice regal
appointments are critically important and should have the
advice and wisdom of representatives of the provinces and
territories and other groups prior to appointments being
made."

In 2019 the government cancelled a program that
mailed physical copies of the Queen's portrait to any
Canadian who asked free of charge. Would you
restore this program?

"Yes, Canadians should be able to obtain a portrait of the
Queen if they want one - I can tell you that it was difficult for
me - as a Member of Parliament - to get portraits of the
Queen for my parliamentary offices and I was furious. I
would change that."

The government also removed the Queen's portrait
from the lobby of the Foreign Affairs Office and
replaced it with paintings by Alfred Pallen. Would
you find a way to have both paintings and portrait
share the ample wall space of the Foreign Affairs
Office lobby?

"Every government dept. lobby should have a portrait of the
Queen. Wherever there is a picture of the PM (and a Minister
and a public servant Deputy Minister) there should also be a
picture of the Queen."

The current government has not committed to
supporting the creation of a Platinum Jubilee Medal
to mark Her Majesty's 70th year on the throne. What
are your views on this?

"I don’t know enough about the medal history and tradition
so I would need to know more before answering your
specific question - but - in principle I am a very strong
believer in history and decorum (having attended Royal
Military College and memorized the names of the first 18
cadets and carried a ceremonial sword) so I strongly believe
that the appropriate and historic commemorative action
should be taken to mark the 70th year of her reign."

A quick overview of her profile on openparliament.ca
shows frequent mention of the monarchy in passing (most
often in relation to her military career).

Overall, Leona Alleslev is a solid monarchist candidate in my
estimation.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Failure to issue a medal marking the Platinum Jubilee just the most recent act in a troubling pattern of behavior by this government

2/20/2022

On February 17th the Monarchist League of Canada finally
received confirmation by the government that no medal
would be produced to mark Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee.
Now, given the number of people who have went above and
beyond during the pandemic (and ought to be honoured in
some way) this is not a great decision. But as the article title
might suggest this isn't the first time Justin Trudeau has
failed to take his role as prime minister of Her Majesty's
Government seriously.

2015

The Queen's portrait is removed from the lobby of the Foreign
Affairs building. Back then I was willing to give the newly
elected Liberal government the benefit of the doubt.

2016

During a royal tour by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
the government approved a new natural gas terminal. This
was done while the royals were visiting the very people the
terminal would effect. The optics were not great and a more
cynical person might suggest the prime minister was trying to
hide behind the royal couple.

2017

Justin Trudeau opted to ignore the vetting committee for vice-
regal appointments when recommending the appointment of
Julie Payette to the position of governor general. Now, the act
of a prime minister keeping their own counsel regarding
appointments is not new. However, they do have a serious
responsibility to make sure the candidate is properly vetted.
Reporters quickly dug up some pretty easily found reports
that should have raised red flags. As governor general
Julie Payette would end up being the worst holder of the
office in at least my lifetime, if not longer.

2019

The government opted to end a successful program that
supplied free portraits of the Queen to any Canadian who
requested one. A similar program for the Charter was not
affected.

Occam's Razor & Chrystal Balls

How are these events to be interpreted? There are simply too
many slip-ups on a single issue for it to be random chance.
This leaves open a couple possibilities:

1. Justin Trudeau's government is incompetent. Justin
Trudeau has gotten into a lot of trouble over its time in office.
We are not talking about Machiavellian dirty tricks but rather
a string of unforced errors, back-peddling, and seemingly a
lack of clear leadership. Up until this year I would have
placed myself in this column.

2. Justin Trudeau's government is actively working to
undermine the monarchy. The last couple of acts by this
government that I listed don't fall into the category of a
government bumbling. To end the portrait program and not
the Charter program is intentional and the Jubilee Medal
decision even more so. Despite what Justin Trudeau has
said in the past I can't see him as a friend of the monarchy any
longer.

If it really is the second option we may be seeing the return
of republicanism by stealth. No grand declaration of war
against our institutions but instead a slow chipping away at
the foundation of Canadian governance.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

How historical happenstance resulted in the Québécois being ruled by the same monarch they would have had anyways if they had never left France

12/5/2021

The Québécois are, as a rule, not fond of the monarchy. Poll
after poll bear this out. Its not so much that Québécois dislike
the Queen or, arguably, even the institution of monarchy.
Instead, the monarchy is a convenient symbol of the conquest
of the colony of New France by the British and the subsequent
second class citizenship Québécois feel they have had since
that point.

That is a lot of historical resentment to unpack and I'm not
going to be the one to do it. Instead I wanted to offer an
alternative narrative. One that emphasizes the shared roots of
the Royal Family and the Québécois.

Once Upon a Time in Normandy

First, lets establish who exactly the Québécois people are that
we will be talking about. It would seem obvious to state that
they are from France and you'd be right. But immigration to
the colony of New France was not even across the whole
nation. Instead, regions in the north and north-west supplied
most of the early immigrants to the colony.

This influx of people who
spoke Norman French has
resulted in Québécois
French being very different
to Parisian French. This
difference was partially
caused by the settlement
and assimilation of Viking
settlers (Northmen) into the
local French population of
Normandy. This began in
911. Rollo, leader of these
Viking settlers, would create
a long-lived dynasty. A dynasty that would, in 1066, gain a
foothold across the English Channel.

A People Separated from Their Rulers

The Battle of Hastings would mark a turning point for the
descendants of Rollo. They added a large island kingdom to
their ducal possessions on the mainland. However, the tense
situation that resulted would eventually see Normandy lost to
the King of France in 1202. The King of France did not trust
the local Norman population and made the former duchy a
part of his demesne with his own French governors in charge.
This situation was not always accepted by the proud Norman
population and at times they were able to get concessions
from their new overlord. Still, the desire to have their duke
back was to persist as late as the 1400s:

"A tousjours bien semblé aux Normands et faict encores que si grand duchié comme
la leur requiert bien un duc."

"It has always seemed good to the Normans and still does that their great duchy
really should require a duke"

Rollo's Descendants in England

In England Rollo's descendants would hold the throne right
up to the present day. For many years Norman administrators
and Norman French would predominate in the halls of power
before they too slowly assimilated into the local Anglo-Saxon
population. Just as with the Vikings in Normandy this would
greatly effect the local language but to a much greater extant.

Conquest or Reunion?

The Conquest of New France is interesting as it marked the
end of high stakes Anglo-French rivalry on the continent. The
victors likewise treated the colony with a great deal of care
and enshrined certain religious, legal, and political rights in
the Quebec Act of 1774.

Due to the above history it is interesting to consider whether
playing up this connection at the time would have gone a long
way towards smoothing the soon-to-be troubled relationship
between the Québécois and the English. But it is unclear if the
king or his governors were even aware of such a connection.

A Delightfully Canadian Result

Had William the Conquer been content to stay just William,
Duke of Normandy, and had Québécois decided to stay put
(which if they had their own native dynasty they might have),
and had a small little thing called the French Revolution not
happened Rollo would mean more to people than the name of
a chocolate treat. But, I'm pushing things by pushing for
three separate changes to the timeline. What happened is, I
think, more poetic.

In Canada, up to the present day, the descendants of the Rollo
reigns over the descendants of the men and women he led to
settle in France. So I would argue that the Conquest of New
France marked the reuniting of a ruler and his people. And
that is what the symbolism of the Canadian Monarchy
should be for the Québécois in my view.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Queen & Governor General's Statements on the First National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

9/30/2021

"I join with all Canadians on this first
National Day for Truth and
Reconciliation to reflect on the painful
history that Indigenous peoples endured
in residential schools in Canada, and on
the work that remains to heal and to
continue to build an inclusive society"

~Her Majesty the Queen

"As we mark the first National Day for
Truth and Reconciliation, I think back to
how my childhood shaped me. How so
many in our community, and thousands
more Indigenous children across Canada,
were ripped away from their homes,
separated from their families and sent to
residential schools, where they were not
allowed to speak their languages or
honour their cultures, and were punished if they did.

As the child of a white father and an Inuk mother, I was not
allowed to attend. I stayed behind, home-schooled, and
visited families where there was a palpable void. I was a
stand-in, a well-loved substitute, for mothers and fathers
who desperately missed their children.

We all felt it. The sorrow of missing a part of our
community.

Since the launch of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
of Canada and the publication of Calls to Action—and more
recently, with the discoveries of unmarked graves of
residential school children—Canada’s real history has been
laid bare. The legacy of colonization has had devastating
repercussions for Indigenous peoples, including the loss of
language, culture and heritage. This pain has been felt from
generation to generation, and it continues today.

These are uncomfortable truths, and often hard to accept.
But the truth also unites us as a nation, brings us together to
dispel anger and despair, and embrace justice, harmony and
trust instead.

Reconciliation is a way of life, continuous, with no end date.
It is learning from our lived experiences and understanding
one another. It is creating the necessary space for us to heal.
It is planting seeds of hope and respect so that our garden
blooms for our children.

As we strive to acknowledge the horrors of the past, the
suffering inflicted on Indigenous peoples, let us all stand
side-by-side with grace and humility, and work together to
build a better future for all."

~Her Excellency Mary Simon

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Fundy Royal 2021 Candidate Profiles

9/7/2021

The following is a survey of the party
candidates running in the riding of
Fundy Royal on the topic of the
monarchy. It is mostly for my own
use as a voter but the questions may
be of use to other monarchists who
want to ask their own candidates
what their views are.

The Candidates

Rob Moore, Conservative Party (Incumbent, 5th run)

Whitney Dykeman, Liberal Party (1st run)

Tim Thompson, Green Party (2nd run)

Josh Floyd, New Democratic Party (1st run)

Wayne Wheeler, People's Party (1st run)

Questions & Replies

1. What are your views on the monarchy?

Moore: I think it’s important for Canadians to understand
and be proud of our history within the Commonwealth and
the role of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Dykeman: Canada and the United Kingdom share a long-
standing and valuable history, which we respect and
acknowledge. As a constitutional monarchy with a Parliament
comprised of the Sovereign, the Senate, and the House of
Commons, Canada’s form of government is among the most
stable and enduring in the world. We were proud that, on the
Prime Minister’s recommendation, Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II has approved the appointment of Mary Simon as
our Governor General.

Thompson: I believe that a constitutional monarch plays an
important role in Canada and support maintaining our place
as a commonwealth nation with the Queen being the Head of
State. I also recognize the challenges surrounded by
colonialism and believe we need to follow through with the
Calls of Action for Truth and Reconciliation.

Floyd: [The] Monarchy generally is less relevant to
Canadians today, but any kind of constitutional change isn’t a
priority for us or for Canadians during the pandemic.

Wheeler: My view on the monarchy is this - it’s part of our
history and therefore should be taught in schools; but I think
we should be our own country.

2. As MP would you push to make the Advisory
Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments that was
active between 2010 and 2015 a permanent part of
the process for choosing governor generals and
lieutenant governors?

Moore: Conservatives created the Vice-Regal Appointments
Committee as a non-partisan appointment process to
nominate Canada’s Governor General - and it works. We’ve
seen, and will pay for, the consequence of the Liberals
snubbing this proven process.

Thompson: Choosing a GG, LG and/or territorial
commissioner is a very important process. I support the
Advisory Committee but would ensure to have First Nations /
Indigenous representation on the committee, which has not
been done before.

Floyd: We would like to see a more transparent and multi-
partisan approach to selecting the Governor General.

Wheeler: As for the Advisory Committee, it could still be
useful to find qualified people for the position but I think
they should be voted on by Canadians other then appointed.

3. During the previous parliament the government
cancelled a program that mailed physical copies of
the Queen's portrait to any Canadian who asked free
of charge. Would you restore this program?

Moore: When the Liberals ended the service of sending
portraits of The Queen to Canadians, they said that a digital
copy would be universally accessible. That would only be true
if all Canadians have access to a computer and reliable
internet - they should know better than anyone that this isn’t
the case. Government agencies send hard copy
correspondence to Canadians regularly. I would be interested
to know why this particular service was ended, and how it
could be salvaged under a Conservative government.

Thompson: Canadians and NGOs that wish to have a copy
of the Queen's official portrait should be able to visit their
constituency office and a copy be provided. In an effort to
reduce the amount of copies printed that are not sent out and
to promote engagement with MPs I think offering this service
locally across Canada would benefit all Canadians.

Floyd: It is not currently a focus of the NDP to restore the
portrait program.

Wheeler: The program to supply portraits not a problem
with that whatsoever...it’s part of our history.

4. The government also removed the Queen's portrait
from the lobby of the Foreign Affairs Office and
replaced it with paintings by Alfred Pallen. Would
you find a way to have both paintings and portrait
share the ample wall space of the Foreign Affairs
Office lobby?

Moore: When the Liberal’s removed The Queen’s portrait
from the lobby of Foreign Affairs shortly after their election in
2015, they signaled to Canadians that it was okay to ignore
that history. The Conservative Party of Canada takes a very
different approach to acknowledging and respecting our ties
to the monarchy.

Thompson: With the Queen being the constitutional
monarch in Canada the official portrait should be displayed
by Canadian Departments. With this I would also wish to have
Indigenous Art displayed to recognize Canada's diversity.

Wheeler: ...the portrait should be on the walls of parliament!

5. There are currently no plans for a Platinum
Jubilee Medal to mark Her Majesty's reign in 2022.
Given the large number of health workers (among
others) deserving of special recognition will you
work towards making sure a medal is issued?
(Note: This question was added after replies from the NDP,
Liberals, Conservatives, and People's Party had already been
received. I will contact the other parties again and add their
responses if given.)

Thompson: As a veteran that has served Canada and the
Monarch for over 14 years I believe it is important to mark
this special occasion. Covid_19 has demonstrated that
essential workers are the true heroes in Canada. Utilizing the
Queens Platinum Jubilee with the creation of a medal would
be a very respectful way of saying Thank you to those front
line workers. I would work towards marking this milestone
with a medal.

Thank you to all the candidates who took the time to
get back to me and good luck with your campaigns.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Pinpointing the exact day a Taliban return in Afghanistan became inevitable

8/31/2021

The world was shocked earlier this
month when the Taliban effortlessly
retook control of Afghanistan. Ever
since a great deal of ink has been
spilled trying to explain why. Some
hold this to be a direct result of the
manner in which the USA withdrew from the country. Some
argue it is due to longstanding issues with political corruption
in the halls of power which sapped the country's strength.
Still others argue this result was inevitable as the Taliban
were freedom fighters seeking to overthrow a puppet regime.

All of these explanations have a bit of truth to them but I
consider them to be symptoms of a larger problem. A problem
stemming from the events of one day when Afghanistan had
the potential to avoid its current fate; June 10th, 2002.

On that day the Loya Jirga met to decide how the new Afghan
government would be organized. There were to be 1450
delegates to the meeting from all walks of life. In the end
2000 delegates were given permission to participate. This
included 50 added at the request of various warlords. But a
funny thing happened. A petition started circulating that
called for Zahir Shah, former King of Afghanistan, to retake
his throne, even if only in a ceremonial role. It had 800
signatures when the USA and UN got wind of it. This would
have been a majority of the original number of delegates and
it is likely it would have reached a majority of the enlarged
delegation. In a move that was largely seen as an attempt to
buy time the meeting of the Loya Jirga was pushed back by
one day.

No one knows what went on during that time but when the
day came Zahir Shah announced he was not a candidate for
any position in the government. The former king had been
preparing for a return for some time so it is odd that he
would step aside so easily. Odd and unfortunate.

What Western powers had not understood about Afghanistan
was that there was very little sense of national identity on
which to draw. Indeed, one of the pressing issues for the
monarchy during its time had been instilling a common
identity. They were never completely successful and when the
monarchy fell only two institutions held the loyalty of the
Afghan people; the monarchy and Islam. Having banished
one the communists made an enemy of the other. And when
the communists were sent running Afghanistan was left a
patchwork of ethnic factions and a new religious faction; the
Taliban. The Americans kicked out the Taliban and sought to
build an Afghan government. But the rules persisted from
before and there were still only two institutions that held the
people's common loyalty; the monarchy and Islam. And if the
Kingdom of Afghanistan had barely managed to create the
start of a national identity then the chances of the Americans
succeeding were slim.

So it is no accident the government gave Zahir Shah a place of
honour in the country but in failing to restore the monarchy
they made themselves vulnerable. The Taliban, on the run but
not destroyed denounced the republic as a puppet regime.
The Afghan government, lacking a strong national identity nor a figure of respect to lead them, took to spreading the
country's wealth among their own supporters.

June 10th, 2002 was an opportunity for the new government
to put at its head a man whom all Afghans respected. It was a
chance to set Afghanistan on the right footing for the future.
And the failure to see this doomed America to a humiliating
defeat and Afghanistan to the tender care of monsters.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Statement by Chairman Finch of the Monarchist League of Canada

7/6/2021

REPUBLICANISM WILL NOT HELP WITH RECONCILIATION

In the aftermath of the horrific discoveries of the bodies of Indigenous children at
former residential schools across the country, Indigenous and non-Indigenous
Canadians have rightly been asking themselves what more can be done to help
achieve reconciliation.

Recently, a school in Creston, BC removed its royal connection and renamed the
Prince Charles Secondary School. Statues of Queen Victoria have been toppled and
vandalized with barely a whimper of disapproval. On Twitter, so-called allies of
Indigenous peoples without a shred of sober second thought equate anyone who
supports the Crown with condoning and enabling genocide. All, of course, in the
name of reconciliation.

Unfortunately, there is a belief among some that erasing symbols of the monarchy
and the Royal Family will somehow help bridge the divide between us. Some want
to go as far as abolishing the monarchy altogether, replacing the Queen and the
Crown with a President and republican system of government. They argue that
republicanism is the way forward towards reconciliation. However, they could not
be more wrong in that assertion.

Just as in the broader population, Indigenous opinion on the monarchy is far from
being universal. Some support it, some do not, and some don’t care. However,
reconciliation does not mean republicanism. Nowhere in the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission is there a call for ending the monarchy in Canada. In
fact, a general theme found throughout its ninety-four calls to action is how the
Indigenous-Crown relationship can be fostered and strengthened. The final call to
action called upon the government to amend the Oath of Citizenship to include a
reference to treaties all while keeping references to The Queen and her successors.
Hardly a republican manifesto.

It is surely worth asking what exactly a republic would even achieve in the first
place for Canada’s First Nations, Inuit, and Metis. Would the lives of Indigenous
peoples be improved? Would they be better off? Well, have the Indigenous
populations prospered in our republican neighbours to the south, the United States
and Mexico? Surely not.

Today, there exists great public support for Indigenous people, concern for their
causes, and regret for past wrongs. But tearing down other institutions that are
important to many – including Indigenous people - is not the way to go tactically
or strategically to achieve reconciliation. Ditto for any widespread charges of
colonialism and the like applied to today’s Royal Family who, quite frankly, have
done more to champion Indigenous issues than many of our politicians,
bureaucrats, academics, pundits, and so-called activists.

Blaming The Queen or other members of the Royal Family for the misdeeds and
mistakes of the past is undeserved and ultimately unhelpful to the reconciliation
cause and the country. We have an exciting opportunity to come together and
rebuild the nation-to-nation relationship between the Crown and Indigenous
peoples. Perhaps the Queen herself has a special role to play in this rebuilding. Let’s
seize the moment. Let’s not squander it with ill-conceived actions that will only
further divide us.

Release July 3rd.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Happy Victoria Day

5/24/2021

Happy Victoria Day! It is amazing how much difference a
year makes. This time last May Canada was still coming to
terms with what fighting Covid-19 would look like (even as
New Brunswick remained an island of security) and we didn't
know when things would start looking up. But now there is
light at the end of the tunnel and a hope that the events of the
past year and a half can finally be behind us. Queen Victoria
herself lived through the cholera pandemic of 1854
which she noted in her diary along with meeting Florence
Nightingale. Much like the current pandemic there was a
great deal of fear. No one knew how cholera spread and
victims would often die within days. This actually leads to an
odd connection. The doctor who figured out what was causing
London's repeated cholera outbreaks was a man by the name
of John Snow. In previous years he had used anesthesia to
help the Queen give birth to two of her children. Anesthesia
had until this point been seen as unethical to administer
during childbirth but the Queen's repeated use of it and John
Snow's research into making anesthesia safer led to it being
more widely used in the following years.

The month of May also marks seven years of The Maple
Monarchists. The rest of this post is a bit of an update
on what I've been up to over the last year as Longtime readers
will note that I don't post as often as I once did. This largely
due to other activities taking up an ever larger portion of my
attention.

For starters, I continue to be the New Brunswick Chairman of
the Monarchist League of Canada. Recently a list of educators
in the province was compiled so that educational resources on
the monarchy can more easily be made available to classroom
teachers.

I'm also a moderator of a monarchist subreddit. While I have
been a moderator for many years now, the growth of the
subreddit over the last two years has been exponential. It has
now surpassed 27,000 members and the moderation team
has had to step up its efforts as a result.

In a bit of news more related to this blog I have received an
offer from a French Canadian to translate some of the articles
I post. It is possible that most future articles will be bilingual.
Stay tuned for more information on this.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

A New Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments?

3/30/2021

Flag of the Governor General of Canada

Earlier this month the government
announced the creation of an ad hoc
advisory group for selecting the next
governor general. This is not a full
revival of the former Advisory
Committee on Vice-Regal
Appointments. Still, this is welcome news and something
this blog has been calling for since 2018.

Membership

(Co-Chair) Dominic Leblanc, the President of the Queen’s
Privy Council for Canada and Minister for Intergovernmental
Affairs

(Co-Chair) Janice Charette, interim Clerk of the Privy
Council

Daniel Jutras (Rector of the Université de Montréal)

Judith LaRocque (former Secretary to the Governor
General)

Natan Obed (President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami)

Suromitra Sanatani (Interim Chair of the Board of
Directors of Canada Post).

Scope

Unlike the previous committee the advisory group has been
created solely for choosing a governor general. Provincial
lieutenant governors are excluded from the group's mandate.
This may speak to how temporary this group is intended to
be. While disappointing it should be noted the previous
committee also started out as an ad hoc group.

Critique

A second major difference is the greater prominence of the
government in the advisory group's structure. The previous
committee had one (non-voting) representative of the
government in its membership. This advisory group makes
the government's representative a co-chair. And the member
in question also happens to be a close personal friend of the
prime minister. If you are trying to create an arms-length
process this is not how you go about it.

The inclusion of Janice Charette and Suromitra Sanatani may
be a nod to the tension created between the former governor
general and the bureaucracy. Suromitra Sanatani presumably
knows something about vetting candidates from their
corporate experience.

Judith LaRocque's (former secretary to the governor general)
inclusion mirrors the appointment of Shelia-Marie Cook (at
the time the current secretary to the governor general) to the
previous committee. A current secretary was not included as that individual was shown the door the same time Governor
General Julie Payette was.

Natan Obed is an interesting inclusion. Getting First Nations
input on the selection of the governor general makes sense
when you consider the close relationship they have with the
monarchy and the fact this relationship often flows through
the governor general.

Overall, a positive step away from the prime minister being
able to unilaterally appoint their own boss.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

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Conservative Leadership Candidates and the Monarchy: Scott Aitchison

Conservative Leadership Candidates and the Monarchy: Leona Alleslev

Failure to issue a medal marking the Platinum Jubilee just the most recent act in a troubling pattern of behavior by this government

2015

2016

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2019

Occam's Razor & Chrystal Balls

How historical happenstance resulted in the Québécois being ruled by the same monarch they would have had anyways if they had never left France

Once Upon a Time in Normandy

A People Separated from Their Rulers

Rollo's Descendants in England

Conquest or Reunion?

A Delightfully Canadian Result

Queen & Governor General's Statements on the First National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Fundy Royal 2021 Candidate Profiles

The Candidates

Questions & Replies

Pinpointing the exact day a Taliban return in Afghanistan became inevitable

Statement by Chairman Finch of the Monarchist League of Canada

Happy Victoria Day

A New Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments?

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2015

2016

2017

​2019

Occam's Razor & Chrystal Balls

Once Upon a Time in Normandy

A People Separated from Their Rulers

Rollo's Descendants in England

Conquest or Reunion?

A Delightfully Canadian Result

The Candidates

Questions & Replies

Membership

Scope

Critique

About

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2019