Oh Canada, Chapter 11 - Our New G-G
The fix is in and the labels are printed and ready to be applied to those of us with the temerity to question the wisdom of Mr. Paul Martin in today appointing Ms. Michaelle Jean as our next Governor General.
As I move along the conveyor belt toward the political correctness unit of the great Canadian cultural abattoir, I can only wonder which imprimatur will be applied to me. Which label will it be? Bigot, white male, Western Canadian, Conservative - they probably have a special one for folks like me who have chosen to hang their ideas on the laundry line for all to see. I like surprises and remain calm as I advance to meet my fate.
I confess I cringed as I watched Mr. Martin announce the appointment of Ms. Jean on CBC Newsworld this morning. Now that is no surprise to my regular readers as Mr. Martin has the uncanny ability to elicit cringes from me rather routinely. More particularly, I flinched before I cringed, noting first that he had a fresh haircut –a trustworthy tell in the world of politicians. They usually get a new haircut before venturing out to tell the biggest fibs.
The cringe came when Mr. Martin listed the qualifications which make Ms. Jean “uniquely qualified” for the position of G-G. Now let me say this by way of explanation not defence, as the labeling stamp rears its Damoclean hand over my head – based on what I know of her Ms. Jean seems an example of an honest upstanding Canadian citizen. She has persevered to obtain an excellent education, she has traveled abroad, and she has risen high in the ranks of her chosen profession of journalism. She seems bright, would be a welcomed companion at any dinner party, book club discussion, bike ride down the Kettle Valley or boat trip down the Li River from Guilin to Yanghsuo. Her husband looks to be somewhat older than she and is brave or foolish enough to compensate for his bald pate by letting the hair on the back of his head meet his collar. Come to think of it, but for the adventurous nature of her husband when it comes to hairstyles, Ms. Jean bears a striking resemblance to my wife on the basis of qualifications.
My wife should be G-G. In fact, any of the women in her two book clubs should be G-G based on most of Ms. Jean’s qualifications. But none of them was born in Haiti and they never worked for CBC you say. And they never won any prizes for documentary features on abused women or a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. I guess that disqualifies them. Wait a moment, I have a female friend who did spend her career in the CBC, and she is from an ethnic minority, but no she was born in the U.S and never lived in Montreal, oh well!
Alas, my wife is merely the daughter of a WWII veteran and Military Cross winner, he a 5th generation descendant of United Empire Loyalists and Great Lake riverboat captains, land surveyors and son of a coal and ice merchant in the dry Saskatchewan prairie. Her mother’s parents left Fraserborough Scotland at the turn of the century, a cooper father and a fish packer mother with a young daughter, all their earthly possessions in a couple trunks.
I don’t need to burden you with the rest of the details. The general outline of my wife’s antecedents and her story would be familiar to most of you based on your own experience. I have no hesitation in saying that my wife and thousands of other Canadian women are as bright, hard working, educated, well traveled and cultured, as is Ms. Jean to represent all Canadians.
This young country of Canada is a nation of immigrants. We are all descendants of people who chose to come here for a variety reasons. Some came to escape poverty, some to escape persecution; a few came from privilege and abundance to pursue even greater opportunity. Ms. Jean’s story is no more compelling than that of thousands of other Canadian women and men, in fact one could argue even less compelling than many.
So what exactly is it that makes her “uniquely qualified” to represent all Canadians in the mind of Mr. Martin, upon whom rest the sole responsibility for the appointment (subject to the Queen’s right to veto)?
Listening to Mr. Martin one can only deduce he believes, or has been told by his handlers that Canadians will believe, that in order to be the G-G one has to come from an identifiable visible minority. The concept that experience, wisdom, proven devotion to public service amongst other attributes might trump the colour of one’s skin or the province which one calls home, seems foreign to Mr. Martin.
I was reminded of Mr. Martin's obloquy to Rosie Abella when he named her to the Supreme Court of Canada. Being the daughter of Holocaust survivors gave her special qualifications to sit on the Supreme Court it seemed. What about being the daughter of survivors of the Great Depression on the prairies, or of Mennonites who escaped Russia, or the son of a father he never knew who was raised by his grandmother, or the boy who was one of thirteen who remembers waking up in bed with two or three siblings a winter morning, his hair frozen. These are all inspiring Canadian stories, but apparently they don't meet Mr. Martin's standards.
Only the most ignorant or obtuse Canadian could fail to have noted that there exists a considerable tension and division in our nation at this time both politically and culturally. The Liberal minority government clings to power with the narrowest of margins. The groans of significant social upheaval can be heard from sea to sea as we meddle with the institution of marriage. If ever there was a time for a political appointment that signaled caution, temperance, conservatism (in the non-political meaning of the much maligned word) surely it was now.
But no, our Prime Minister chooses instead to appoint another career CBC employed, foreign born, female journalist of colour as our Governor General. And, in his public comments he seeks to trumpet this appointment as another signal event to show the world what an enlightened, diverse, inclusive, God in Her wisdom is smiling upon us nation we are here in Canada.
When asked by the first journalist in the post announcement press conference, what Mr. Martin had to say to the more cynical observer who saw this appointment as an effort to bolster the Liberal party fortunes in Quebec, Mr. Martin put on his best pouty supercilious face and declared this was no time for partisan thoughts. Cringe turned to gag reflex and I had to turn off the television at that point.
I sincerely wish Ms. Jean all success in her appointment. I don’t believe it is one she sought. I pray that she might receive the wisdom she needs to fulfill the serious constitutional responsibilities her office carries, should she be called upon to exercise them. Should her tenure be one of a purely symbolic nature, I pray she will carry out her duties with grace and skill.
As for Mr. Martin I pray for an expeditious end to his tenure as Prime Minister. The longer he remains in the position, the more he demeans the office. Not in my lifetime has there been a man who served as Prime Minister who appeared less comfortable, competent and dignified in the role, than he. Mr. Clark is his nearest rival. The scapegoat Prime Ministers Mr. Turner and Ms. Campbell were recognized by all as mere propitiations for the sins of their predecessors.
Mr. Martin fought long and hard for the levers of power, and now that he has them he has proven to be even more inept than any of us could have imagined. The transparently political nature of this latest appointment serves only to highlight once again the cravenness of this Liberal government, and its almost freakish commitment to cling to power.
My long lament for Canada will only be intensified and extended if, in the weeks of debate and analysis which follow this appointment, the prevailing argument emerges that once again Canada has shown the world what an enlightened place we are by dint of this appointment.
In spite of my lamentations I live on in hope that one day soon, a majority of Canadians will fight its way clear of the web of political spin woven by our current Prime Minister and his handlers, and amass the collective will to vote for change.
For my liberal readers I point to Confucius and not Christ for inspiration (Christ being intensely politically incorrect these days as a source of inspiration and wisdom). Confucius was unable to find his philosopher king, and died without hope for the future of civilization. Subsequent history proved him wrong and showed that a philosopher ought to say what he thinks, especially at a time when no one who is anyone agrees with him. Confucianism became the official outlook of the greatest Empire that the world has known.
I am no Confucius and I am no philosopher, but it may be worth your while to give more than a moment’s thought to the reasoning our Prime Minister has used to declare the “unique qualifications” of our G-G elect.
As I move along the conveyor belt toward the political correctness unit of the great Canadian cultural abattoir, I can only wonder which imprimatur will be applied to me. Which label will it be? Bigot, white male, Western Canadian, Conservative - they probably have a special one for folks like me who have chosen to hang their ideas on the laundry line for all to see. I like surprises and remain calm as I advance to meet my fate.
I confess I cringed as I watched Mr. Martin announce the appointment of Ms. Jean on CBC Newsworld this morning. Now that is no surprise to my regular readers as Mr. Martin has the uncanny ability to elicit cringes from me rather routinely. More particularly, I flinched before I cringed, noting first that he had a fresh haircut –a trustworthy tell in the world of politicians. They usually get a new haircut before venturing out to tell the biggest fibs.
The cringe came when Mr. Martin listed the qualifications which make Ms. Jean “uniquely qualified” for the position of G-G. Now let me say this by way of explanation not defence, as the labeling stamp rears its Damoclean hand over my head – based on what I know of her Ms. Jean seems an example of an honest upstanding Canadian citizen. She has persevered to obtain an excellent education, she has traveled abroad, and she has risen high in the ranks of her chosen profession of journalism. She seems bright, would be a welcomed companion at any dinner party, book club discussion, bike ride down the Kettle Valley or boat trip down the Li River from Guilin to Yanghsuo. Her husband looks to be somewhat older than she and is brave or foolish enough to compensate for his bald pate by letting the hair on the back of his head meet his collar. Come to think of it, but for the adventurous nature of her husband when it comes to hairstyles, Ms. Jean bears a striking resemblance to my wife on the basis of qualifications.
My wife should be G-G. In fact, any of the women in her two book clubs should be G-G based on most of Ms. Jean’s qualifications. But none of them was born in Haiti and they never worked for CBC you say. And they never won any prizes for documentary features on abused women or a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. I guess that disqualifies them. Wait a moment, I have a female friend who did spend her career in the CBC, and she is from an ethnic minority, but no she was born in the U.S and never lived in Montreal, oh well!
Alas, my wife is merely the daughter of a WWII veteran and Military Cross winner, he a 5th generation descendant of United Empire Loyalists and Great Lake riverboat captains, land surveyors and son of a coal and ice merchant in the dry Saskatchewan prairie. Her mother’s parents left Fraserborough Scotland at the turn of the century, a cooper father and a fish packer mother with a young daughter, all their earthly possessions in a couple trunks.
I don’t need to burden you with the rest of the details. The general outline of my wife’s antecedents and her story would be familiar to most of you based on your own experience. I have no hesitation in saying that my wife and thousands of other Canadian women are as bright, hard working, educated, well traveled and cultured, as is Ms. Jean to represent all Canadians.
This young country of Canada is a nation of immigrants. We are all descendants of people who chose to come here for a variety reasons. Some came to escape poverty, some to escape persecution; a few came from privilege and abundance to pursue even greater opportunity. Ms. Jean’s story is no more compelling than that of thousands of other Canadian women and men, in fact one could argue even less compelling than many.
So what exactly is it that makes her “uniquely qualified” to represent all Canadians in the mind of Mr. Martin, upon whom rest the sole responsibility for the appointment (subject to the Queen’s right to veto)?
Listening to Mr. Martin one can only deduce he believes, or has been told by his handlers that Canadians will believe, that in order to be the G-G one has to come from an identifiable visible minority. The concept that experience, wisdom, proven devotion to public service amongst other attributes might trump the colour of one’s skin or the province which one calls home, seems foreign to Mr. Martin.
I was reminded of Mr. Martin's obloquy to Rosie Abella when he named her to the Supreme Court of Canada. Being the daughter of Holocaust survivors gave her special qualifications to sit on the Supreme Court it seemed. What about being the daughter of survivors of the Great Depression on the prairies, or of Mennonites who escaped Russia, or the son of a father he never knew who was raised by his grandmother, or the boy who was one of thirteen who remembers waking up in bed with two or three siblings a winter morning, his hair frozen. These are all inspiring Canadian stories, but apparently they don't meet Mr. Martin's standards.
Only the most ignorant or obtuse Canadian could fail to have noted that there exists a considerable tension and division in our nation at this time both politically and culturally. The Liberal minority government clings to power with the narrowest of margins. The groans of significant social upheaval can be heard from sea to sea as we meddle with the institution of marriage. If ever there was a time for a political appointment that signaled caution, temperance, conservatism (in the non-political meaning of the much maligned word) surely it was now.
But no, our Prime Minister chooses instead to appoint another career CBC employed, foreign born, female journalist of colour as our Governor General. And, in his public comments he seeks to trumpet this appointment as another signal event to show the world what an enlightened, diverse, inclusive, God in Her wisdom is smiling upon us nation we are here in Canada.
When asked by the first journalist in the post announcement press conference, what Mr. Martin had to say to the more cynical observer who saw this appointment as an effort to bolster the Liberal party fortunes in Quebec, Mr. Martin put on his best pouty supercilious face and declared this was no time for partisan thoughts. Cringe turned to gag reflex and I had to turn off the television at that point.
I sincerely wish Ms. Jean all success in her appointment. I don’t believe it is one she sought. I pray that she might receive the wisdom she needs to fulfill the serious constitutional responsibilities her office carries, should she be called upon to exercise them. Should her tenure be one of a purely symbolic nature, I pray she will carry out her duties with grace and skill.
As for Mr. Martin I pray for an expeditious end to his tenure as Prime Minister. The longer he remains in the position, the more he demeans the office. Not in my lifetime has there been a man who served as Prime Minister who appeared less comfortable, competent and dignified in the role, than he. Mr. Clark is his nearest rival. The scapegoat Prime Ministers Mr. Turner and Ms. Campbell were recognized by all as mere propitiations for the sins of their predecessors.
Mr. Martin fought long and hard for the levers of power, and now that he has them he has proven to be even more inept than any of us could have imagined. The transparently political nature of this latest appointment serves only to highlight once again the cravenness of this Liberal government, and its almost freakish commitment to cling to power.
My long lament for Canada will only be intensified and extended if, in the weeks of debate and analysis which follow this appointment, the prevailing argument emerges that once again Canada has shown the world what an enlightened place we are by dint of this appointment.
In spite of my lamentations I live on in hope that one day soon, a majority of Canadians will fight its way clear of the web of political spin woven by our current Prime Minister and his handlers, and amass the collective will to vote for change.
For my liberal readers I point to Confucius and not Christ for inspiration (Christ being intensely politically incorrect these days as a source of inspiration and wisdom). Confucius was unable to find his philosopher king, and died without hope for the future of civilization. Subsequent history proved him wrong and showed that a philosopher ought to say what he thinks, especially at a time when no one who is anyone agrees with him. Confucianism became the official outlook of the greatest Empire that the world has known.
I am no Confucius and I am no philosopher, but it may be worth your while to give more than a moment’s thought to the reasoning our Prime Minister has used to declare the “unique qualifications” of our G-G elect.
posted by Ben Buan | 11:31 p.m.
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