Louise Arbour will become governor general at a delicate moment

When the rarified and comparatively unfettered chance arises, it mightiness be tempting for a undercoat minister to use the selection of a governor general to do something splashy or exciting or unconventional, like choosing a hockey player or an astronaut. And there is nothing inherently wrong with excitement or novelty.

But this is perhaps not a moment for indulging in viceregal adventurism. Perhaps this is the sort of moment that moves a prime minister to quote the poetry of William Butler Yeats while announcing a new governor general.

"At a time when much of the world is buffeted by crisis and the worst are full of passionate intensity, Canada's history, our institutions, and our enduring traditions matter more than ever," Mark Carney said on Tuesday as he stood beside governor general-designate Louise Arbour.

"We retain our convictions. We reinforce our institutions."

The idea of institutional strength and value played prominently throughout Carney's remarks.

Arbour, he said, would bring to Rideau Hall a "conviction that institutions are the load-bearing walls of a civil society, and that they remain trustworthy only as long as someone is willing to hold them accountable."

The next governor general struck a similar note in her own brief remarks. Canada, she said, has been "shaped by its diversity of people, of perspectives and experiences, but I think shaped also mostly by a common respect for strong public institutions and for the rule of law."

Whatever she herself brings to Rideau Hall, Arbour will be the personification of an institution — at a moment when the country those institutions underpin is under unique stress.

Arbour will come to the job after a long and distinguished career in both public institutions and the law, both national and international: former justice of the Supreme Court, former chief prosecutor for international criminal tribunals, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, former special representative of the UN secretary general for international migration, and past chair of two independent reviews into government action. 

Even if everyone won't agree with every opinion she has ever expressed, Arbour has about as long and considerable a record in civic life as it is possible for someone to accumulate — which should at least mean she knows what she is now getting herself into.

"Louise Arbor will represent the best of Canada to Canadians and to the world," Carney said. 

That is, ideally, what a governor general is supposed to do, even if the role also demands a great deal of circumspection.

Who is Louise Arbour, Canada's next governor general?

Arbour will now affix her signature to laws and read the speech from the throne and preside over the swearing-in of new ministers. She will host receptions, give out awards and welcome new ambassadors. 

But beyond the pro forma, a governor general might hope to do a couple bigger things: to work, in small ways, to bring Canadians together, and to act, in quiet ways, to build and preserve trust in Canada's democratic institutions.

And such things might matter all the more at present, when national unity is both particularly vital and potentially challenged, and when the basic fallibility of our institutions is so apparent when one looks elsewhere in the world.

Five years ago, a governor general imploded over allegations of misconduct — the first governor general in the long history of the institution to resign because of scandal. The office survived the fallout. But possibly now would be a particularly bad moment for something like that to happen again.

It is ultimately not just for her own sake that Canada's next governor general might want to avoid scandals, and it is not just for his own sake that the prime minister might want to nominate someone who is qualified and prepared for the job. 

"Above all, the governor general is the guardian of our constitutional order," Carney said on Tuesday.

"The most demanding part of that role is rarely seen. It's the duty to ensure that government in Canada is formed, sustained, and when the time comes, dismissed in accordance with law and convention. It's a duty that calls for sound judgment, deep learning and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law."

Even if Arbour never has to navigate a difficult question about who gets to govern in the event of a hung parliament, the importance of her office would still be worth highlighting. 

And if Arbour seems like a safe, institutional choice, that might be the point.

Senior writer

Aaron Wherry has covered Parliament Hill since 2007 and has written for Maclean's, the National Post and the Globe and Mail. He is the author of Promise & Peril, a book about Justin Trudeau's years in power.

---

---