happy - you're right on this one - at least notionally

Mulroney undoubtedly made Lam's appointment - but that hardly negates the fundamental point Mair is making - that Lieutenant Governors (and Governor Generals) ought to be more like Lam and less like David Johnson.

Mair is hardly the first commentator to point out why David Johnson was a supremely bad choice for the job of Governor General. And it's been done in both the Globe and the Toronto Star.

However, one shouldn't be too surprised at 'anything' Pee Wee Rambo (aka Fat Boy) does to further his political agenda.

If you have any doubt about how far the sweater vest with the dead eyes will go to hang onto power I suggest you read Lawrence Martin's new book "Harperland". And while you're at it, make a note of what Lawrence has written at pages 186 - 189.

This monster is basically a dictator and he's taken Canada, in four short years, down into depths of anti-democratic slime that make, by comparison, the record of Brian Mulroney read like an elementary schoolchild's diary.

R.I.P. David Lam.

Mair had a point?

And here I was thinking it was the usual pure politics.
After all this was Rafe's opinion in'07

"We have, then, reached the point where we should ask two questions. Do we need a governor-general or lieutenant-governor? And, if the answer is yes, what should be the criteria for appointment?
Neither job, to all intents and purposes, has any practical significance. It's a ceremonial role so that the head of government need not spend time with visiting dignitaries, reviewing Boy Scout parades and taking goodwill jaunts to far flung places."

But now in '10 its this

"Bearing in mind the lieutenant-governor's enormous residual power -- seldom used -- I thought, "Here is a man I would know to be non-partisan if he had to exercise his power."

So you see West why I can't take this seriously. We've gone from someone who's only good for reviewing boy scout parades to someone who wields enormous residual power.

If that ain't political spinning and flip flopping then what is it.

Yes, R.I.P Mr Lam. It's a shame your passing was hijacked here for someone elses paid political agenda

[OFFENSIVE COMMENT DIRECTED AT A TYEE WRITER REMOVED. -MODERATO]

happy: are you sure that anyone actually pays Rafe for his muckraking articles?

His only purpose here on the Tyee is to create space for intelligent comments that can be squeezed in as almost relating to the subject ole Rafe has decided to milk.

Mair's poor form

[OFFENSIVE COMMENTS DIRECTED AT A TYEE WRITER REMOVED. -MODERATOR.]
However David Lam was honorable and the new GG desrves our respect.

happy

The thing is, Rafe is finally coming to the realization that the Canadian system of 'democracy' will, in all likelihood short of the breakup of the country (if, let's say, Quebec votes to separate), never change.

The admittedly sclerotic situation whereby a few appointed senators can hold up the work and the legislation of the elected legislators in the House of Commons until hell freezes over is not going to change. Therefore, we will also continue to have the anachronistic situation whereby we pay some kind of tribute to a foreign monarch that has absolutely no relevance for modern Canada too.

Canada is shackled to this system: Like it or lump it and Pee Wee's willingness to use a toady like David Johnson - someone who is nothing more than a professional university administrator and academic plaything for hire to further his centralization of power in the PMO will continue apace.

Some people earn respect - no one 'deserves' it. The fact Rafe Mair has the intestinal fortitude to adapt his views and his beliefs according to the changing circumstances in this country is to be applauded - not decried.

If only the current premier of BC had the maturity to have learned from HIS mistakes.

What does it take to "earn"

What does it take to "earn" repect? I invite you, Rafe or anyone else to review this bio and then justify your whitewash of him as a "professional university administrator and academic plaything for hire "
Cosidering what he's accomplished in his lifetime I would go as far to say that was hitting below the belt. Please read

http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=13874

And as far as Mair having the intestinal fortitude to adapt his ways...well, in my sosmewhat different and far more cynical view I would say he's burned all his (well publicized) previous bridges behind him and now works for the Tyee! Therefore has "adapted" his well known political leanings to line up

The man has done nothing of any significance

For anyone except a few elitists.

You know, I presume, that McGill is a private institution which, until after WWII had quotas for Jews and that Waterloo wouldn't exist without corporate support.

Compare his resume with that of Stephen Lewis - who never even graduated from university -and then we'll talk.

He would have begun to 'earn' some respect from me if he'd had the balls to tell Fat Boy to take a hike and appoint someone with a chance to rival Michaelle Jean's record.

Sorry happy on this one I can't see ANY common ground - furthermore, I'll bet Mair makes next to nothing for his writing gigs these days - I do respect the guy for the fact he's tried to take on several important issues when he could have put his feet up and rested till sundown...I don't think he's being cynical at all.

In fact, quite the contrary - which is not that I agree with everything he writes either.

I never hit below the belt - there's lots of targets well above that line.

Stephen Lewis disagress with you about McGill

"Lewis, whose honorary degrees are mounted on all four walls of his office, says the true thrill comes from the chance to address fresh graduates about fighting for justice. Yet some speeches stand apart. When McGill gave him a degree in 1987, he accepted in the name of his father, David Lewis, a founder of Canadian socialism who had been overlooked for an honorary degree in his lifetime, Lewis said, “partly out of anti-semitism and partly anti-socialism.”

So does Ms Jean

"During her mandate, the Governor General has been awarded honorary degrees from the following universities: University of Ottawa (2006); University of Foreigners of Perugia in Italy (2006); McGill University (2006); York University (2007); University of Manitoba (2007); University of Alberta (2008); Université de Moncton (2009); Université Laval (2009); Royal Military College of Canada (2010); and Université de Montréal (2010)."

All universities pursue corporate funding, thats nothing new. Left leaning SFU just accepted 10 million from......Goldcorp.

Lewis's degree at McGill as well as the ones you list for Jean

Are honorary degrees...And, look at what Stephen Lewis said about McGill ... he's simply acknowledging what I wrote - that that 'private' university was a bastion of elitism and anti Semitism...

He wanted to give the place some credit for changing a bit - that's all.

I think you've completely missed the point I was trying to make - I don't seen david johnson as anything but another Harper toady...

As for the record of BC Lieutenant Governors getting 'involved' in political affairs I'm surprised Rafe doesn't mention the events of early April 1983...

I hope this will 'jog' his memory a bit.

And, on another point

The uses of money to influence academia - at that very university (Waterloo) where Johnson earned more of your plaudits

I think there's more to that than meets the eye.

You can start your research here:

http://www.cautbulletin.ca/

These buggers always want their pound of flesh.

And they don't like independent thinking nor do they respect 'independent' inquiries - they much prefer tipping the table and bending the rules to fit their agenda - and David Johnson 'fits' that mold very nicely.

Cheers.

Not true West

Read it again. Lewis never said McGill was anti-semetic or elitist. He said his father was overlooked during his lifetime b/c of anti-semitism and anti-socialism but he didn't say it was McGill now did he. I googled David Lewis honorary degress and came up blank so using your logic that means every single university in Canada was guilty. You're arriving at your own conclusions to fit your opinion.

Be honest, no matter who Harper appointed you'd find fault.
Is Doer a toady too?

Unfortunate Linkage

It is unfortunate that the headline for this article tied a deserved obituary for Mr. Lam to the current Federal Governor General; however, the comments by Mr. Mair are completely valid. Maybe the article should have been titled, "The Influences of Governor/Lieutenant-governors".

Having said that, Mr. Mair's comments are correct. He appropriately states: "...look at the federal scene and current Governor General David Johnston, and compare the background of his appointment to that of the late David Lam. Johnston may have been unknown to most Canadians, but he sure as hell was well known to Stephen Harper....Mr. Lam was appointed not because he was owed any favours, but because he was a decent citizen...Harper hired one David Johnston to set up the terms of reference, and he refused to include any relationship between Mulroney and the Airbus scandal, saying that it was well-tilled ground."

Stephan Harper appointed David Johnston to set very minimal terms of reference into the allegations of business/financial dealings between Schreiber and Mulroney. Jeffrey Oliphant was then appointed to head the Commission, but he was completely handcuffed by the The Terms of Reference. Even a casual observer could see Mr. Oliphant was frustrated with his limited scope in arriving at the truth of the Mulroney/Schreiber affair.

At the very minimum, Mr. Mulroney should have been required to pay back the false award he received. Mulroney escaped legitimate punishment for his many misdeeds because he was the ideal change agent for implementing the wishes of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.

Didn't you read this?

When McGill gave him a degree in 1987, he accepted in the name of his father, David Lewis, a founder of Canadian socialism who had been overlooked for an honorary degree in his lifetime, Lewis said, “partly out of anti-semitism and partly anti-socialism.”

I wasn't just talking about honourary degrees - I was talking about quotas for admitting Jewish students.

McGill University imposed special admission requirements and quotas to keep down the number of Jewish students. "Francophones spoke loudly but did nothing," says Pierre Anctil, an expert on Jewish history in Quebec, "while anglophones said nothing but excluded Jews from McGill and from businesses."

Of course I read it

It can be taken both ways. A decent lawyer could have your version tossed out of court as he doesn't actually name McGill, but.....
Enough, we've beat 'er to death and what happened long before we were born doesn't really have anything to do with this anyway.
OK, forging ahead. We all agree with Rafe Mr Lam made us proud (even though I say the positions redundant in this day and age too) and we'll just have to wait and see before pronouncing judgment on Mr Johnson.
Its only fair.
Cheers

Not exactly

David Johnson comes with a political agenda attached - I'm afraid I might be able to ignore the fact he worked at two universities with what I categorize as a 'mixed' record and that's about all he's done in his 'storied' career - but I won't ignore the fact that Fat Boy admittedly selected Johnson not for his impartiality but because he'd done a workmanlike job of getting his Conservative government out of a tight fix over Mulroney and the Airbus affair.

You can ignore such things - I refuse to.

The guy is either on tap for more favours to Pee Wee's ego OR he is being rewarded for favours already performed.

But I do agree we've beaten it to death and I'd rather pursue a discussion about the events of April 1983 when the actions of a Lieutenant Governor were also in the news.