Can you fire a Governor General?

Tuesday, August 11, 2020 – by John McHutchion

Here’s what you need to know to get the day started:

Can you fire a Governor General?

Revelations reported by CBC News of unusual spending by Julie Payette and allegations of a toxic work environment at Rideau Hall have raised questions about the fate of Canada's current Governor General. Asked last Friday by CBC News whether her government had confidence in Payette, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland offered support for the Governor General's office and the constitutional role it plays, but pointedly did not express explicit confidence in Payette.

But what is the process for a governor general to vacate — willingly or otherwise — the role due to controversy? Are there precedents? And what role could Buckingham Palace or the Queen play in such a move?

The governor general is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the prime minister. An exit from this post can only occur through death or incapacitation, resignation, or if the Queen, acting on the advice of the prime minister, removes the governor general from the role.

Experts agree the best solution — and the most likely solution in a case where a governor general is embroiled in controversy and the government would like them to depart — would be a resignation following the prime minister's discreet suggestion. That, in part, is because firing a governor general would be a nearly unprecedented move — or, as described by Carleton University associate professor and expert in the Westminster system Philippe Lagassé, "the nuclear option."

"I don't think it's going to get there," Lagassé said. Payette is not accused of criminal wrongdoing or unconstitutional behaviour, he said. "There's just a really bad fit. A really bad fit isn't necessarily grounds to go to the Queen."

It's also considered unlikely Buckingham Palace would weigh in on the current controversy. Barbara Messamore, a history professor at the University of the Fraser Valley who studies the role of governors general, said any perception that the monarchy was "meddling on a strictly Canadian issue" would reflect poorly.

More on this issue

Read: Trudeau government refuses to support Gov. Gen. Julie Payette while under scrutiny

Read: Gov. Gen. Payette has created a toxic climate of harassment and verbal abuse at Rideau Hall, sources allege

Explosive confrontation

(AFP/Getty Images)

Firecrackers thrown by protesters explode in front of riot police amid clashes on Monday in the vicinity of the parliament in central Beirut. Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab yesterday announced the resignation of his government nearly a week after a devastating explosion at Beirut's port that has stirred public outrage.

In brief

A Red Deer, Alta., physician died Monday after he was attacked in an examination room at a walk-in clinic. RCMP said one man is in custody and the major crimes unit has taken over what police called "an active homicide investigation.” Supt. Gerald Grobmeier, detachment commander of the Red Deer RCMP, said that during the police response the suspect hit an officer with a blunt weapon. The officer, who suffered minor injuries, disarmed and arrested the attacker without further incident. An eyewitness at the clinic said the attacker had a hammer and a machete. Read more on this story here.

Non-medical masks have been required for air travellers in Canada since mid-April to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but a ministerial order issued Friday closes a loophole that may have made it easier for some flyers to avoid wearing face coverings. Passengers who are unable to wear a face mask due to a medical condition must now present an official doctor's note stating that they are exempt from the rule or they will be denied boarding. Since April 20, it's been mandatory for air travellers to cover their mouth and nose during airport screenings while boarding and at all times during a flight, except while eating, drinking or taking oral medication. Infants are not required to wear masks. Read more about the change here.

Across the country, parents concerned about COVID-19 are looking for alternatives to classroom learning. School reopening plans vary from province to province, with some combination of in-class and distance learning, depending on the age of the student. Some parents are opting for distance learning, with the help of a private tutor. Marty McIlwain, a private tutor in Winnipeg, said he expects the need for his service will grow as schools reopen next month, but he is worried about the students whose parents don't have the resources to help them. “Some students will adapt OK, and we'll be able to make it up, but those are only a few of the students," McIlwain said. "A lot of them are going to slide behind, and we may be looking at losing an academic year here — and then that translates into problems next year and the next year [and] the next year." Read more about the upcoming return to school.

A serving member of the Canadian military has launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against the Department of National Defence after his flying career was cut short because of health issues that he claims are related to mould exposure aboard a navy frigate. Capt. Felix Dunn of Bedford, N.S., served aboard HMCS Vancouver for six months in 2016 when he developed a fever, chills and respiratory issues, and, according to his doctors, has never fully recovered. The warship has had documented issues involving black mould, which environmental experts say is a serious health risk for people with pre-existing conditions. Dunn is currently posted to the air force base in nearby Shearwater in an administrative position until he is due to be medically released from the military in March 2023. It is the second time the federal government has been taken to court over the effects of mould exposure aboard warships. Read more about the issue of mould on the navy’s ships here.

Chances are you don't have sub-zero temperatures on your mind just yet, but amid the COVID-19 pandemic, winter could bring a whole host of new challenges — and experts say now is the time to prepare. For months, we've been told to stay apart to stop the spread, but chilly temperatures will force people to cram indoors. Dr. Andrew Morris, an infectious disease specialist with the Sinai Health System and University Health Network in Toronto, said the winter months also mean added risks going to and from work and school — whether that's people forced to carpool together, take a school bus or crowd onto transit. "I anticipate that we will start to see transmissions occurring not as much necessarily in the workplace but going to and from the workplace," he said. Read more on how Canadians can mitigate the risks when the temperature starts dropping, forcing people increasingly inside.

Now for some good news to start your Tuesday: “And they're off!" Nathan Bain exclaimed, leaning out the window of the announcer booth as race season got under way at Leamington Raceway in southwestern Ontario this past weekend. The 18-year-old was chosen to be track announcer for the 2020 race season. "It's just a dream come true,” he said. Nathan first showed his skills at 12 years old when he videotaped himself calling a race, his mother, Lynnette Bain, said. That landed him the opportunity to call his first race on Kids Day at the track. Now, due to the pandemic, Nathan is currently announcing to an empty grandstand. While fans can't enjoy races on the sidelines, there is a live stream on the raceway's website for people to enjoy. The raceway expects to open to spectators once the region enters Stage 3 of reopening. Read more about the young race announcer here.

A prominent Saudi activist's detention and sudden silence

Loujain Alhathloul, a Saudi women's rights activist who studied in Canada, has been imprisoned for the past two years. Now, her family who used to be able to talk to her regularly, hasn't heard from her in seven weeks.

Today, the CBC's Michelle Ghoussoub joins us to talk about how Alhathloul became one of the most prominent faces in the struggle for women's rights in Saudi Arabia, what her continued detention says about social reforms under the Saudi regime, and what her family thinks her silence means.
Listen to today's episode

Today in history: August 11

1908: Canadians Walter Ewing and George Beattie win the gold and silver medals, respectively, in trap shooting at the Olympic Games in London. It would take 90 years for another Canadian one-two finish in an Olympic event — speed skaters Catriona Le May Doan and Susan Auch in the 1998 women's 500 metres in Nagano, Japan

1986: More than 150 Tamil refugees are found drifting in two lifeboats off Newfoundland. They were allowed to stay in Canada for at least one year.

1994: Federal regulators take control of Confederation Life Insurance Co., Canada's fifth-largest insurer, after the company failed to secure a $600-million capital rescue package from the insurance industry.

2016: 16-year-old Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak picks up Canada's first gold medal at the Rio Olympics, tying with American Simone Manuel in the women's 100-metre freestyle in an Olympic record 52.70 seconds. Oleksiak became Canada’s youngest gold medalist and the first Canadian to win four medals at a single Summer Games (adding to a butterfly silver and a pair of bronze medals in the freestyle relays).