The Governor General serves a very important role in Canadian governance. As the representative of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Governor General acts as our Head of State on most matters, serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces, appoints the government, gives royal assent to legislation, and much more. To put it simply, the Governor General fulfills the obligations of the Crown, a fundamental part of our constitution.

Many former Governor Generals have served with grace, dedication, and passion for their country. Former Governor General David Johnston comes to mind. As Governor General from 2010 to 2017, he fulfilled his duties in a way that was always focused on ensuring the good of the country and did so without scandal.

The Governor General is appointed by Her Majesty on the advise of the Prime Minister of the day. However, it is fundamentally important that the Governor General is able to operate in a manner that is beyond partisan politics. That is why, in 2012, former Prime Minister Harper created the Vice-Regal Appointments Committee to nominate future Governors General and remove partisan politicking from the equation.

Unfortunately, when Justin Trudeau was given the opportunity to name Mr. Johnston’s successor in 2017, he snubbed the Appointments Committee and instead opted to appoint a Governor General based on political motivations. So, without any proper vetting process or consideration of whether or not she was suited for the job, the Prime Minister appointed Julie Payette in 2017.

Since then, several media reports have emerged about a toxic work environment at Rideau Hall, Ms. Payette’s own poor treatment of her staff, and her desire to shirk many of the traditional duties of the Governor General. Subsequent media stories discovered that Ms. Payette had faced similar allegations in previous positions, but that the Prime Minister had failed to even inquire into the reasoning for Ms. Payette leaving those positions.

Justin Trudeau was so determined to score political points on the most important appointment he can make, that he failed to do his due diligence and he took far too long to own up to his mistake. Instead of making the decision to request Ms. Payette’s resignation when these allegations first arose, he let them linger for months and months. Finally, a few weeks ago, Ms. Payette offered her resignation after an official report was presented to the Prime Minister.

To make matters worse, Ms. Payette is still entitled to all of the benefits that former Governors General receive, including an expense account for staff and office expenses, even though she did not even come close to completing her term. Not only is this unreasonable, it is unjustifiable. Canadians should not be paying the expenses of a Governor General who was forced to resign. Canada’s Conservatives are pushing for changes that will ensure Canadians do not have to pay for such expenses for Governors General who do not complete their term of office.

Now, the Prime Minister will be given the opportunity to appoint a new Governor General. I hope for the sake of our country that he doesn’t make the same mistakes he made last time. He should re-establish the Vice-Regal Appointments Committee and listen to the advice it provides him. Perhaps it will save Canadians further embarrassment and expense.