[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Barrister]

I'm reading the half-serious suggestion that if Prince Harry really is moving to Canada, why not appoint him Governor General?  and put him to work?

It's not without precedent: Prince Arthur, Queen Victoria's 7th son, was GG of Canada from 1911-1916.  His daughter is perhaps even more famous than Arthur though - Princess Patricia.

Of course there is the risk (as always in Canada) that it might not go over well in Quebec, as we've been appointing Canadians to the role of GG since at least the 1950s.

[crazy canuck]

Terrible idea.  He has none of the qualities we look for in our GG.  Our recent list would go from people noted for their professional and volunteer accomplishments to trust fund kid wanting to get away from it all. 

[Barrister]

Terrible idea.  He has none of the qualities we look for in our GG.  Our recent list would go from people noted for their professional and volunteer accomplishments to trust fund kid wanting to get away from it all.

Hey - give the guy some credit - he actually has a fairly impressive resume.  He's a veteran, served in Afghanistan no less.  He founded the Invictus Games and continues to champion them.  Sounds pretty good for a 35 year old.

Plus he's well skilled in the actual role of Governor-General: being a public figure head and making speeches.

[saskganesh]

With regards to MacKay's candidacy, what ever happened to the David Orchard conservatives? Did they scatter to the wind, joining the Grits or the Greens, or did they trim their sails and just go along with the new Cons?? Not that I'm expecting any substantial constituency to be still active. Any notable survivors still in the game?

[Barrister]

With regards to MacKay's candidacy, what ever happened to the David Orchard conservatives? Did they scatter to the wind, joining the Grits or the Greens, or did they trim their sails and just go along with the new Cons?? Not that I'm expecting any substantial constituency to be still active. Any notable survivors still in the game?

They were never really conservatives to begin with.  I can't find any evidence he was a member of the party before he first ran for leadership in 1998, when of course the PCs were quite weakened.  At the time it was noted his voters tended to be former members of other political parties.  He ran again in 2003, when he forged his deal with MacKay.

After the merger he had his membership revoked by the Conservatives.  He subsequently joined the Liberals, ran for them in Saskatchewan, and lost.

I don't know of any notable Orchard supporters at the time, or later.

[crazy canuck]

With regards to MacKay's candidacy, what ever happened to the David Orchard conservatives? Did they scatter to the wind, joining the Grits or the Greens, or did they trim their sails and just go along with the new Cons?? Not that I'm expecting any substantial constituency to be still active. Any notable survivors still in the game?

There was never really such a thing as Orchard Conservatives.  He was just an anti free trade crusader.

[Zoupa]

I'm reading the half-serious suggestion that if Prince Harry really is moving to Canada, why not appoint him Governor General?  and put him to work?

It's not without precedent: Prince Arthur, Queen Victoria's 7th son, was GG of Canada from 1911-1916.  His daughter is perhaps even more famous than Arthur though - Princess Patricia.

Of course there is the risk (as always in Canada) that it might not go over well in Quebec, as we've been appointing Canadians to the role of GG since at least the 1950s.

I promise you that we don't give a shit who's GG. You could appoint whoever you like.

[Admiral Yi]

I promise you that we don't give a shit who's GG. You could appoint whoever you like.

Veep would get peeved.  He doesn't like the connection to the monarchy.

[Admiral Yi]

Just read in The Economist that Trudeau created a new "ministry of middle class prosperity."

[crazy canuck]

Just read in The Economist that Trudeau created a new "ministry of middle class prosperity."

Yeah, and here is the mandate that position has.  If you can see anything of substance let us know.

https://pm.gc.ca/en/mandate-letters/minister-middle-class-prosperity-and-associate-minister-finance-mandate-letter

[Grey Fox]

I promise you that we don't give a shit who's GG. You could appoint whoever you like.

Veep would get peeved.  He doesn't like the connection to the monarchy.

But that happens with every GG appointment. If Harry speaks french, I suspect he does, everything is peachy.

[crazy canuck]

The problem is recent events in Canada alone show the role is not merely ceremonial.

[viper37]

I promise you that we don't give a shit who's GG. You could appoint whoever you like.

Veep would get peeved.  He doesn't like the connection to the monarchy.

Doesn't really matter who's GG.  The job exists, it is silly, all connections to the monarchy should be abolished, but as long as it's there, any clown can do it.

[viper37]

The problem is recent events in Canada alone show the role is not merely ceremonial.

Not really.  All it has proven is the GG has to follow the lead of the Prime Minister.  If the Prime Minister says the session is prorogated, then it is.  End of story.

[Oexmelin]

To go back for a moment to the split within the Conservatives, I had missed recent polls/studies by Ekos tracing the rise of populism within Conservative supporters.

Apparently, of those surveyed, 69% Conservative supporters said there were too many visible minorities in Canada (it was 47% only a few years ago...); 30% reported their trust in scientists to be "low" (it was 14% in 2014) - and that about half of the party could be considered "authoritarian conservatives", so that candidacies such as Ambrose or McKay does not appeal to them at all.

Here's the summary by EKOS' president.

https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/what-if-the-conservatives-had-a-centrist-leader/