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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!"

14 of 109 comments (clear)

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

    That must be nice.

  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 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.

    3. 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.

  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. 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...
  5. 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.

  6. 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
  7. 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!
  8. 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.