CKNW Editorial
for July 3, 2001

If there is one thing Prime Minister Jean Chretien is good at, it’s cheapening an office by making a political appointment to it. Take Adrian Clarkson – a CBC Toronto type whose only other attributes are that she’s a Liberal female immigrant of colour becomes Governor General. Then we have our new Senator Jaffee whose only claim to fame other than the fact that she too is a woman of colour is that she lost an election for the Liberals … it being a consistent Liberal habit to appoint to the upper house those whom they cannot get elected to the lower house.

Then there is Lou Sekora as now a full time Citizenship Judge. I mean, can you believe that? Here is a man who would have been ousted from the Mayor’s chair had he not voluntarily resigned just one step ahead of the sheriff. Here is the mayor who helped himself to so many per diems as a GVRD member that they had to change the rules … here is a man you wouldn’t want addressing your schoolkids now a full time, full pay Citizenship Court Judge. I suppose you can’t say that this cheapens the office since the office was reserved for Liberal has-been hacks since they invented the job but really, can you imagine anyone let alone new citizens having to address this man as "your honour"?

Now we have a new Lieutenant-Governor thanks to the Boss of Canada.

Now let me state from the outset that Iona Campognolo is an honourable person. She has served in high office and she has done good works in her community. The trouble is it’s not for those reasons she goes to Government House. She reaches this sinecure by having been a lifelong Liberal, who lost her seat, a female and the one who, as Chair, of the 1984 Liberal Leadership Convention breathlessly and unctiously told the assembled gathering and the country that "Jean Chretien is first in our hearts." Not to put too fine a point on it, Iona Campagnolo is a Jean Chretien crony, a political pal from way back, a political pal to whom Jean Chretien owes a debt. Mr Chretien, who needs a bit of love these days, is not the kind to forget a political debt. It can now be stamped "Paid in full."

Now there’s nothing wrong with being a hack, even a Liberal one, but that shouldn’t qualify you to be Her Majesty’s representative in British Columbia.

This is, of course, by no means the first time a Lieutenant Governor has had the right political connections but at least in the recent past they have been subtle. The incumbent, Mr Gardom, was indeed a Liberal but he bolted the Liberals in 1975 and served in various offices under the Social Credit governments of Bill Bennett, When he became LG it was not seen as a pay-off to a Liberal because it clearly wasn’t. (Interestingly, the job was to have gone to May Brown which would have been a Liberal pay-off but the NDP rightly squawked loudly and were listened to.)

David Lam may have had some politics but if he did they certainly weren’t the reason for his appointment. His predecessor, Henry Bell-Irving may also have had some politics but if he did, I didn’t notice. He was a distinguished soldier and distinguished citizen.

There is a great question in the minds of many as to whether we need either a Lieutenant-Governor or a Governor-General and if so, why? The office is purely ceremonial – the official part of it could just as easily be handled by the Chief Justice of the Country or the Province as it often is. There is the residual power of the crown but since that is never exercised these days it means nothing.

If there is any reason for these two vice-regal positions surely it is one of ceremony and dignity. The holder of the office represents the Queen and like the Queen is therefore free of all political taint. And there’s the rub. Would anyone, including the lady herself, for one second say that Iona Campagnolo is free of political taint?

Now let’s be clear on this, there is nothing wrong much less illegal or immoral about being politically tainted. Nor to having political pals in high places. In order to get into public life you must be political. I believe it was John F. Kennedy who said "every mother wants he son to grow up to be president but she doesn’t want him to get into politics to get there." Ms Campagnolo has a distinguished career of politics and community service. But she is also a political hack and if we are to preserve the office of Lieutenant-Governor on the grounds that it is a non political ceremonial job of distinction then it cannot properly be filled by a raw, parish pump political pay-off – which the appointment of Ms Campagnolo clearly is.