Mary Simon, Our New Viceroy

 

Canada has a new Governor-General, Mary Simon. On the whole, she seems a good choice. It is awkward that she does not speak French. To my ear, despite a background in broadcasting, she has shown herself in her acceptance speech to be a poor speaker in English as well. It is also unfortunate that she got her start in journalism. Canada is too prone to appoint journalists to posh government sinecures. This undermines journalistic neutrality. But Simon, unlike Michelle Jean, Pamela Wallin, Mike Duffy, or Adrienne Clarkson, also had a career in elected office. 

Simon was appointed, as everybody understands, because she is half-Inuit. Everyone seems to think it was time for a GG who is from one of the native peoples.

Most often, appointing someone by race is offensive; it is a violation of the fundamental principle of human equality. But perhaps this is a worthwhile exception. It should be harder for native people to feel alienated or say they are not Canadian, when the Queen’s representative herself is native. 

Relations between native people and the rest of the population are currently strained, and getting worse year by year—in no small part thanks to the mislabeled “Peace and Reconciliation” process. Simon’s appointment, and her tenure, if she uses it well, may be oil on those troubled waters.