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Former Astronaut Julie Payette To Be Canada's Next Governor General (www.cbc.ca)

Posted by BeauHD on from the accomplished-humans dept.

MightyMartian shares a report from CBC.ca: Former astronaut Julie Payette will be the Queen's new representative in Canada, CBC News has confirmed. The 53-year-old Montrealer, who speaks six languages, will be named the 29th governor general, a position that comes with a $290,660 annual salary and an official residence at Rideau Hall. Payette, who is also an accomplished athlete, pianist and choral singer, will succeed outgoing Gov. Gen. David Johnston. A computer engineer with a commercial pilot license, Payette was picked from among 5,330 applicants in 1992 to be one of four new astronauts with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). She participated in two space flights to the International Space Station and served as the CSA's chief astronaut between 2000 and 2007.

MightyMartian adds: "I defy anyone else to find a head of state who is an astronaut!"

49 of 109 comments (clear)

  1. A government that isn't afraid of science! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

    That must be nice.

    1. Re: A government that isn't afraid of science! by hackwrench · · Score: 1

      That's meaning she has free personal time for science and stuff.

    2. Re: A government that isn't afraid of science! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I think there's some truth in this, if I've learnt anything about Trudeau since he became Canada's PM it's that he's damn good at PR, but mostly full of shit behind the scenes.

      He's been constantly attacking the US over Trump's muslim ban and so forth, and attacking Britain's insularism over Brexit also for example, yet he's still got a fundamentally broken eTA system that prevents random people from entering the country.

      So for example, current processing times on eTA that don't get auto-approved is 91 days (as per the Canadian immigration phone line, their website still lies and says from minutes to 72 hours max) - you can get permission to enter North Korea in 30 days for crying out loud. Some people are also having their eTAs cancelled and not finding out until they're due to fly and not being given a reason why. Canadian immigration is entirely faceless and there's no way to get any information out of them or ask questions about these things so that people with no criminal records, who have been to Canada with no problems at all many times in the past and so forth are just outright banned from entering the country with no reason given, and no way to appeal. Even Trump's muslim ban, no matter how misguided is at least fucking transparent so that people aren't wasting money.

      But on this particular topic, Trudeau has been vocal about how great he is for allowing Syrian refugees to settle, which is great, but if you're not part of that headline group, and are, say, just a high skilled worker, then Canada's immigration process is far more difficult than that of even Britain which again Trudeau chastises as insular.

      There are of course many other flagrant promises broken in other areas - electoral refom being an obvious one.

      This fits his modus operandi - make a big gesture that gets headlines, then do fuck all in practice to back up the gesture such as freezing funding on basic scientific research in the most recent budget.

      I understand why people kicked Harper out, and I'm glad they did. But if one thing should be clear about Trudeau by now it's that he's an egocentric spoilt child who wants to be in the news but doesn't actually much give a fuck about living up to many of his claims. He's done an amazing PR job of selling Canada as open and forward thinking, whilst retaining one of the most opaque and restrictive migration regimes, even for temporary visitors, in the world - that's fine if that's what Canadians want, but it's also then hypocritical to pretend Canada is something it's not.

    3. Re: A government that isn't afraid of science! by Brockmire · · Score: 1

      As I get older, I seem to be getting more xenophobic. So I'm OK with this. Any truly talented individuals really don't have a problem working in Canada. 3 months is nothing, many people have wives waiting to come over after the husband has been here for years. My issue is with the immigrants who do not make any effort to integrate themselves into Canada. I'm talking about the people who have been here 20-30 years and still don't speak English (or barely). Or people who have resting bitch/dick face. I grew up on the East Coast where everyone was friendly in any business situation. I just don't see the friendly customer service, they just look like they want to kill themselves or be anywhere else. They boast about ripping people off, etc. All my immigrant friends who have put down roots in the community (kids play soccer, hockey, and mingle with Canadians) speak really good English and friendly to chat and hang with. It's interesting to run into a recent immigrant run down other immigrants for the same reason. One Russian with really good English (hardly a trace of accent) came to Toronto without ever speaking English before. He took night school English lessons for 6 months. He said if an immigrant doesn't learn English in 2 years, they are not trying and should be returned. I don't disagree. I have two friends from Peru that have been here for 10-15 years. Their English has really improved, but one is still fucking annoying to talk to. If she spoke English at home instead of Spanish, she would have been fluent 10 years ago. Immigrating to Canada is a fucking privilege, not a right. Now get off my lawn.

  2. serving at Her Majesty's pleasure by turkeydance · · Score: 5, Informative

    is not "a head of state"

    1. Re:serving at Her Majesty's pleasure by Richard_at_work · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You have to understand that the vast majority of British and Commonwealth political issues such as this are more based in tradition than actual ability - while the governor general does "serve at Her Majesty's pleasure", that would never be exercised these days, as the position is largely controlled via "recommendations" given by the countries head of government and not from the Queen herself.

      It would be extremely unusual if the Queen were to simply sack a governor general, and would probably prompt a constitutional crisis - its no different to the fact that the Queen cannot really do anything politically even in the UK. She "chooses" the head of the largest party in Parliament to form a government, but the last time she actually exercised a choice (asking someone other than the head of the largest party), there was significant debate about it and there were a lot of calls for her to be removed altogether as a result.

      In Canada, considering the governor general as "head of state" has been a common aspect of successive governments for decades - so the submitter doesn't actually misspeak...

    2. Re: serving at Her Majesty's pleasure by hackwrench · · Score: 1

      You mean the Kekistani God Emperor Trump?

    3. Re: serving at Her Majesty's pleasure by hackwrench · · Score: 1

      ...who serves under the great god Kek. I fought in the great Meme War. That was a great time!

    4. Re: serving at Her Majesty's pleasure by hackwrench · · Score: 1

      Hey, you don't know what the Queen does in her personal time.

    5. Re:serving at Her Majesty's pleasure by J+Story · · Score: 4, Informative

      Wrong. The Queen is Head of State. Only the very uneducated think otherwise, and it has never been a "common aspect of successive governments for decades". The website of the Governor General plainly states: "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is Queen of Canada and Head of State. The Governor General is the representative of the Queen in Canada."

      Case closed.

    6. Re:serving at Her Majesty's pleasure by sd4f · · Score: 2

      As an Australian, us subjects really aren't bothered. It's entirely honorific and completely out of sight from regular life. We are our own country, we just happen to be part of the commonwealth, meaning the queen's head appears on our money. The one time in Australian political history where she was requested to intervene in a political situation was in 1975, and she either couldn't or wouldn't (not sure which exactly). All I can really say on the topic is, it does appear outdated and archaic today, to have a monarch, but with that said, the commonwealth has been successful and effective in establishing free societies, albeit that may be due to lessons learnt from the war of independence.

    7. Re: serving at Her Majesty's pleasure by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Shadilay.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    8. Re:serving at Her Majesty's pleasure by dwywit · · Score: 1

      She declined to intervene. Kerr sacked Whitlam, Whitlam got on the phone to Buckingham Palace to "advise" HM to terminate Kerr's commission (i.e. sack him), HM (via her advisors) declined to have anything to do with it. I don't think she even ended up speaking to Whitlam. The generally acknowledged position was that HM felt that it was a matter for Australians, IOW "I'm not going to get dragged into this, sort it out yourselves".

      While there is much to admire in the models of other countries, I prefer to keep heads of state and heads of government as separate people. We've been served pretty well by our current system, I don't want it changed for some vague ideal of republicanism (republicanism is great in theory, but I haven't seen much practical success lately).

      --
      They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
    9. Re:serving at Her Majesty's pleasure by RabidReindeer · · Score: 1

      Well, in the present-day USA, you're expected to swear personal loyalty and curtsey to someone who just happens to have the right blood in his veins.

    10. Re: serving at Her Majesty's pleasure by sd4f · · Score: 1

      We don't actually. Our anthem was changed decades ago.

  3. I love canada by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    i can use maple syrup for lube and no one cares. in fact, when it happens my neighbors bring tim hortons.

  4. Re:"Astronaut" by ls671 · · Score: 1

    Good point!
    Let's call them thermosnaut!

    --
    Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
  5. Not the head of state. by MarkRose · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state, not her Governor General

    --
    Be relentless!
    1. Re:Not the head of state. by MightyMartian · · Score: 3, Informative

      I stretched a bit, yes. The GG is the Queen's vice regal representative, so is an acting head of state, except when the Queen is in residence in Canada.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    2. Re:Not the head of state. by Strider- · · Score: 4, Informative

      The Governor General is the viceregal in absentia. The person who holds this role is the head of state, unless the monarch is actually present.

      --
      ...si hoc legere nimium eruditionis habes...
    3. Re:Not the head of state. by CastrTroy · · Score: 1

      Is is really necessary to have an "acting head of state" just because the queen isn't in the country? It's not 1867 anymore. The Queen can easily be reached by telephone, email, or many other electronic means if she is needed. She could even fly and be here in a matter of hours if she needed to be. It's closer from Canada to London (Gander NL to London - 3800 KM) than it is from one end of Canada to the other (Gander NL to Vancouver, 4813 KM).

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    4. Re:Not the head of state. by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      Perhaps it isn't necessary, but the office is entrenched in the Constitution, and altering any aspect of the Constitution that deals with the Monarchy would require the approval of Parliament and all ten provinces, and if you know anything about Canadian history, you'll know how fraught with danger attempting to amend the Constitution is.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  6. Re:"Astronaut" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    By that measure there goes Alan Shepard and Scott Carpenter. Also, by all means, please also inform the surviving family and heirs of Gus Grissom that he wasn't an astronaut after all when he was killed in the Apollo 1 fire. Also you may need to set Congress straight on that too, since they seem to have mistakenly awarded him the Congressional Space Medal of Honour.

  7. Re:InB4 the important question by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    speaks six languages,

      an accomplished athlete, pianist and choral singer, A computer engineer with a commercial pilot license

    Whatever. How big are her jugs?

    Canada has... different priorities. ;)

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  8. Trump is a space cadet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Does that count?

  9. Re:"Astronaut" by LVSlushdat · · Score: 1

    Given THAT criteria, the ONLY "astronauts" who have "been outside the atmosphere" were the Apollo crews..

    --
    THANK YOU, Edward Snowden!! Americans owe you a debt of gratitude (whether they know it or not..)
  10. Re:Not only that... by LVSlushdat · · Score: 1

    Pretty nice looking Canadienne, VERY well preserved for 53 years old...

    --
    THANK YOU, Edward Snowden!! Americans owe you a debt of gratitude (whether they know it or not..)
  11. Re: And she's incredibly corrupt by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    Then talk about it and don't simply say so. Also, does she program with QB64? Inquiring minds want to know!

  12. Re: "Astronaut" by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    That's right. Now you understand why there can't be any actual science fiction again for awhile. Everything is just too solvable.

  13. Not completely cerimonial by FeelGood314 · · Score: 2

    The Queens representative in our western most province just made a decision on who should be able to form the government there. There was also the case a few years back where our minister of defense admitted to a war crime* in the in the house of commons and the prime minister asked the Governor General to prorogued parliament so that the senate inquiry into his actions would die (er so we could watch the winter Olympics, I think was the prime ministers excuse). I think the Governor General got that one wrong but at least we have a mechanism to solve parliamentary issues that only takes a single day. Having the government paralyzed for weeks waiting for a decision is worse.

    *Canadian soldiers had handed over prisoners of war to American and Afghan forces without getting guarantees that they would not be miss treated. It' not just that they were subsequently mistreated it's the fact that we didn't take reasonable steps to ensure they were not that is a crime.

    1. Re:Not completely cerimonial by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      The 2008 prorogation wasnt the first time a Canadian GG granted such a request. Sir John A MacDonald requested and was granted a prorogation to evade censure over The Pacific Scandal.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  14. Not the only government astronaut, either... by Idarubicin · · Score: 5, Informative

    My congratulations to Julie Payette on her appointment to her new post. Bear in mind she isn't the first Canadian astronaut to assume a role as a senior government official, either.

    Since 2015, former astronaut Marc Garneau has served as the federal Minister of Transportation--which seems just a little bit on the nose.

    (That compares rather favorably, incidentally, to the 1995 appointment of Al Palladini - a used-car salesman - to serve as Ontario's Minister of Transportation...)

    --
    ~Idarubicin
  15. That's so impressive by waynemcdougall · · Score: 4, Insightful

    > Former astronaut Julie Payette will be the Queen's new representative in Canada, CBC News has confirmed.
    Wow. An astronaut

    > The 53-year-old Montrealer, who speaks six languages,

    Six? She has some smarts on top of the astronaut

    > Payette, who is also an accomplished athlete, pianist and choral singer

    What? No. Now this isn't fair. I guess, if I work a bit harder I could...ok, a LOT harder, I could,....

    > A computer engineer with a commercial pilot license,

    No. No no no no no.

    She makes me look like I didn't even try at life.

    --
    Recycle PCs and build a wireless community network www.hillsborough.org.nz
    1. Re:That's so impressive by AchilleTalon · · Score: 2

      I wonder if she actually speak fluently six languages or if she just sing opera in six languages.

      --
      Achille Talon
      Hop!
    2. Re:That's so impressive by rbrander · · Score: 1

      Did you actually put the word "just" in front of "sing opera in six languages" ??

    3. Re:That's so impressive by WallyL · · Score: 1

      Either way, it's way more than I've ever accomplished, and probably more than you've accomplished, too.

    4. Re:That's so impressive by Areyoukiddingme · · Score: 1

      A computer engineer with a commercial pilot license,

      No. No no no no no.

      She makes me look like I didn't even try at life.

      It's the outgoing Governor General who is the computer engineer with a commercial pilot license, not the astronaut.

      You may or may not have tried very hard at life, but you sure don't try hard at reading comprehension.

    5. Re:That's so impressive by Lost+Race · · Score: 1

      It's the outgoing Governor General who is the computer engineer with a commercial pilot license, not the astronaut.

      FTFA: A computer engineer with a commercial pilot licence, Payette was picked from among 5,330 applicants in 1992 to be one of four new astronauts with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

      You may or may not have tried very hard at life, but you sure don't try hard at reading comprehension.

    6. Re:That's so impressive by x0ra · · Score: 1

      Computer engineer ? Come on, she held a system engineer position for 2 years 30 years ago...

    7. Re:That's so impressive by AchilleTalon · · Score: 1

      Pretty stupid comment. Like speaking different languages is the only way someone may accomplished himself. A fortiori if speaking means learning a subset of already made sentences while singing. BTW, how useful is this today to speak six languages unless you are a translator?

      --
      Achille Talon
      Hop!
    8. Re: That's so impressive by Brockmire · · Score: 1

      Ha! Fail!

  16. Re:Not only that... by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

    Back to work Donald.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  17. Re:Why do we celebrate astronauts? by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

    What exceptional talents or skills merit this adoration?

    She has her own helmet.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  18. GREAT NEWS! by CanEHdian · · Score: 2

    I, for one, welcome our new celestial Overlord^H^H^H^Hlady. Someone that isn't there as a token female, but someone that has actually done something and every Canadian can be proud to call their Governor General. Hopefully that spirit of accomplishment inclusion will remain, the opposite of an 'activist' type person that does what they do for a club they themselves are a member of.

    --
    When the copyright term is "forever minus a day", live every day like it's the last.
  19. Re:Good, she has experience by AchilleTalon · · Score: 1

    Spot on. As a friend of mine said after the news of her nomination came out.

    "She spent most of her life time trying to convince us astronauts are useful. She will be perfect as governor general."

    --
    Achille Talon
    Hop!
  20. Re:"Astronaut" by himay · · Score: 1

    I'm not here to disparage the person's achievements.

    I'm here to be sad about the term "astronaut" being watered down to include people who haven't even left the atmosphere. The ISS is only 400 km up, still well within the thermosphere.

    We used to send people to space!

    "Watered down?" Since when? Are you familiar with the Kármán Line? Not to mention any alternative definitions of the lower boundary of space are well below 200km (above sea level). I think you're just imposing your own personal opinion onto what qualifies as "space," as opposed to what the aeronautics/astronautics societies have established as "space."

  21. Canada a meritocracy? by LesserWeevil · · Score: 1

    Maybe the US of A could stop electing lawyers and billionaires to high office and look to engineers and scientists instead. Nah, what am I thinking - it'll never work because they typically have principles and core honesty.

  22. Re:Why do we celebrate astronauts? by x0ra · · Score: 1

    1) she's an engineer... well at most for 4 years between 1986 and 1990. So yeah, she can legally sign drawings, but I wouldn't let her design a bridge
    2) commercial pilot licence: yet, she has never been flying a commercial plane with paying customers. This is more of a check list item than anything else
    3) She's an accomplished musician and signer... show me a publicly available recording and I'll judge...
    4) She speaks six langages... bullshit, she speaks french and english and "some" Spanish, German, Italian and Russian 5) She's a triathlete... I see no mention of this

    At this point, this resume look more of an embodiment of the Stakhanovite movement than anything else, really...

  23. Re:Well may we say God Save the Queen by NoMaster · · Score: 1

    Really. What has happened to Slashdot??

    Nothing. It always was a cesspool of belligerent ignorance.

    Well may we say God Save the Queen (pause) because nothing will save the Governor-General...

    Gough got that wrong too - Kerr continued on as G-G for another 2 years...

    As for Kerr, despite the foaming-at-the-mouth hatred Labor has carried against him for the last 40-odd years, everything that's come out since points to him doing the only thing feasible at the time - putting the question of government to the people by dismissing the government & causing an election to be called. If he made one mistake, it was not being completely open with Whitlam that he'd already come to an agreement with Fraser (and even that's disputed).

    --
    What part of "a well regulated militia" do you not understand?