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

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!"

Comments

serving at Her Majesty's pleasure

[turkeydance]

is not "a head of state"

Re:serving at Her Majesty's pleasure

[Richard_at_work]

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...

Re:serving at Her Majesty's pleasure

[J Story]

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.

I love canada

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Not the head of state.

[MarkRose]

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

Re:Not the head of state.

[MightyMartian]

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.

Re:Not the head of state.

[Strider-]

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.

Not the only government astronaut, either...

[Idarubicin]

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...)

That's so impressive

[waynemcdougall]

> 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.