Canada Chose Stability

Mark Carney’s choice of Louise Arbour as Canada’s next Governor General is the right one.

Seventy-nine years old. Forty-two honorary doctorates. Companion of the Order of Canada. Former Supreme Court justice. The prosecutor who indicted Slobodan Milošević. Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Author of the 2022 report that forced Canada’s military to confront its culture of sexual misconduct.

This is a serious appointment.

Asked whether she is a monarchist, Arbour didn’t give a rehearsed answer. She said she was not sure what the word is supposed to mean, but that the constitutional arrangement we have has served Canada well. She spoke about stability, continuity, and judgment.

That is a clear statement of how she sees the role. The question is not whether someone identifies as a monarchist. The question is whether they understand the system and the constraints it creates.

Canada’s system is built on limits.

A Prime Minister governs only with the confidence of the House. A Governor General acts on behalf of the Crown, not the government of the day. Courts decide on the law. Parliament debates and votes.

These are not abstract features. In Canada they are operating constraints on power.

It is common to describe our system as outdated or inherited. That is not an accurate description. It is a functioning structure that has carried the country through repeated periods of stress, including the current one.

Canada is facing external pressure and internal strain at the same time. In that context, institutional stability matters.

I believe Louise Arbour understands that.

She will represent the office with the level of seriousness it requires.

This is a good appointment for the country 🇨🇦