Roundup: Presenting Her Excellency

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Yesterday was the big day, and Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Julie Payette was installed as the Canada’s 29th Governor General in a ceremony that involved more than a few nods to the Indigenous people, and a lot of music – numbers and artists that surprised many.

As for Payette herself, her installation speech was twenty minutes “from the heart” no script, no notes, and in a dynamic storytelling style about her personal journey, and what she hopes to accomplish in her time as the Vice Regal representative in Canada, drawn from her perspective of seeing a borderless planet from orbit. It also gave a hint about what she may see as her priorities as GG, which will involve promoting STEM (especially for girls), and about helping people unlock their potential by having the right support systems behind them. Personally, I would say that this speech was far beyond anything we’ve seen from the post in more than the past seven years of Payette’s predecessor, and that I believe will serve us well.

Meanwhile, the National Post looked into just what a Governor General does all day, in true Tristin Hopper style.

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/914870113886724096

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/914871528193429509

https://twitter.com/pmlagasse/status/914874959851347968

Good reads:

  • As would be expected, Bill Morneau will be talking to premiers about the proposed tax changes today.
  • The Conservatives and their “positive politics” are launching attack ads against the Liberals and their apparent bid to drive “local businesses” into the ground.
  • Ralph Goodale says that the Edmonton terror suspect’s background didn’t raise red flags during his asylum process. Here is more on why that’s a tough thing to catch.
  • Planned cuts in the United States to the Energy Star programme would have major reverberations in Canada for our own energy efficiency plans.
  • The Bloc (and the NDP) are showing grave concern about the situation in Catalonia, while the government issues carefully worded statements.
  • The Independent Senators Group has now tied with the Conservatives for the largest Senate caucus, and negotiations for committee make-up will begin soon.
  • Here is an attempt to look at whether Jagmeet Singh’s “cool” factor will move any polls away from Trudeau’s favour.
  • Here is a look at whether the NDP can grow under a leader like Singh so long as they continue to require values tests or loyalty tests from would-be new members.
  • When asked by the CBC whether he condemns those Sikhs who venerate the perpetrator of the Air India bombing as a martyr, Singh demurred.
  • Aaron Wherry looks at what Singh brings to the NDP, while Chantal Hébert ponders about what changes in Ottawa now that Singh leads the party.
  • Martin Patriquin wonders if (or perhaps when) the racist attacks against Singh will begin.
  • Andrew Coyne wonders why we keep giving so many breaks to small business when they have poor productivity and don’t grow.
  • Susan Delacourt looks at the Clinton and Obama speeches last week, and their message about the war on facts and evidence.
  • Colby Cosh walks though some of the now ritual phrases that are expressed post-terror attack, such as with Edmonton this weekend.

Odds and ends:

Here’s a disturbing tale about what declining populations means for local democracy in places like Newfoundland and Labrador.