Michaelle Jean has confirmed her five-year term as Governor General will not be extended beyond its scheduled conclusion in September, officially signalling the end of what has been a lively chapter in the history of a traditionally staid institution.
It was a reign that began in controversy over suspicions she was a separatist; she broke into a spontaneous dance in Parliament on the day she was sworn in, butchered a seal with the Inuit and gobbled down a slice of its heart, wept publicly for her Haitian homeland and earned adoring reactions abroad.
She concludes her term with lofty popularity levels that, according to one recent poll, would be the envy of just about any public figure.
There had been whispers that the government was seeking a successor. On Wednesday, Jean confirmed the worst-kept secret in Canadian politics: her term won't be extended. The Governor General made the remarks in a chat with Canadian journalists aboard an airplane, as she prepared to touch down in Senegal for a 10-day state visit to sub-Saharan Africa.
"I'm very focused right now on what I want to achieve until the end of my tenure, which will come at the end of September," Jean said. "Normally, I was appointed for five years. And the end comes at the fifth anniversary of the installation, which is the end of September."
A few dozen people, some dancing, greeted Jean at the airport. It was a far more subdued scene than her first visit to Africa in 2006, when thousands of people waved from the sidewalks.
Governor General's term won't be extended, Jean confirms
-
Published on
April 15, 2010
- Published on July 1, 2010
-
The Canadian Press ~ The News
Michaelle Jean has confirmed her five-year term as Governor General will not be extended beyond its scheduled conclusion in September, officially signalling the end of what has been a lively chapter in the history of a traditionally staid institution.
It was a reign that began in controversy over suspicions she was a separatist; she broke into a spontaneous dance in Parliament on the day she was sworn in, butchered a seal with the Inuit and gobbled down a slice of its heart, wept publicly for her Haitian homeland and earned adoring reactions abroad.
- Rate
- Top of the page
Comments
-
- Porogued
- - July 2, 2010 at 15:01:07
The GG allowed Harper to stay in power by allowing a suspension of the House preventing teh oppositions from forcing an election. See how loyal Harper is?
-
- kasco
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:49:47
I never was a supporter of the position of Governor General nor am I now.
But here is an idea. Michaelle Jean for Prime Minister.
I LIKE IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -
- Porogued
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:49:24
The GG allowed Harper to stay in power by allowing a suspension of the House preventing teh oppositions from forcing an election. See how loyal Harper is?
-
- kasco
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:32:04
I never was a supporter of the position of Governor General nor am I now.
But here is an idea. Michaelle Jean for Prime Minister.
I LIKE IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
