Lieutenant-Governor (Canada)
In Canada, the lieutenant-governor (sometimes without a hyphen[1], pronounced [lɛfˈtɛ.nənt]), in French lieutenant-gouverneur (always with a hyphen), is the Queen's, or Crown, representative in a province, much as the Governor General is her representative at the national level. The lieutenant-governor is therefore the province's vice-regal representative, but has little or no executive role.
Similar positions in Canada's three territories are termed Commissioners and are representatives of the federal government, however, not the Queen directly. Yukon and Nunavut have had Commissioners since they were founded, but in Northwest Territories the position dates to 1905, when the most populous part of the territory was split away to become the provinces Alberta and Saskatchewan. Before then, the Northwest Territories had a Lieutenant Governor.
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Like similar officials, lieutenant-governors hold considerable reserve powers which are not normally used. One interesting constitutional question is the role of the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec in the hypothetical case of the Quebec National Assembly voting to unilaterally secede. Some have argued that in this situation, the lieutenant-governor not only could refuse Royal Assent, but would be duty bound to do so.
Nominally, lieutenant-governors are appointed by the governor general for a usual term of five years. In practice, they are chosen by the Prime Minister of Canada, usually in consultation with their respective provincial Premiers. Lieutenant-governors are often retired "elder statesmen" from the prime minister's party. The salary of lieutenant-governors is paid by the federal government rather than by the provincial government, though other costs associated with the office are covered by the respective province. In the past, the lieutenant-governors were a direct representative of the governor general, however they now directly represent the Queen in their respective provinces.
The difference in authority between the Australian state governors and the Canadian provincial lieutenant-governors is significant constitutionally. In Australia, governors are appointed by the Queen on the advice of the appropriate state premier. Canadian lieutenant-governors are appointed by the governor general, rather than the Queen directly, on the advice of the prime minister.
Canadian lieutenant-governorships have been observed often to be used to promote women and minorities into a prominent position. The first female Vice-Regal in Canada was the Honourable Pauline Mills McGibbon, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario from 1974 to 1980. Five of Canada's ten current lieutenant-governors and one of the three territorial commissioners are women. There have been one black (Lincoln Alexander) and several Aboriginal lieutenant-governors. The current Lieutenant Governor of Quebec uses a wheelchair. The current Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia is Jewish. The current Lieutenant Governor of Alberta is a Chinese-Canadian, as was the Hon. David Lam in British Columbia (Lieutenant Governor from 1988 to 1995).
In 1999, Queen Elizabeth II approved the design of a Vice-Regal Badge of Service. The distinctive badge features a diamond-like shape framing a red circle with a maple leaf. The lieutenant-governor's badge is gold in appearance and the badge of one's spouse is silver. On 1 January 2000, all living current and former lieutenant-governors and their spouses were presented with this badge. [2]
See lieutenant-governors:
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
- Northwest Territories (formerly)
Notes
- ^ In a Canadian context there are numerous, and not mutually agreeable, notions regarding hyphenation and capitalisation of the position title. The Canadian Style (an official federal government style guide), indicates Lieutenant-Governor (upper case with hyphen; p. 46) though lieutenant-governors (lower case and hyphenated) when pluralised (p. 70). Similarly, governor is the main noun in this title and it is the term that is pluralised. The Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage equivocates somewhat, indicating upper case only when used in and associated with a specific provincial L-G or name, not generally (e.g., Lieutenant-Governor Lincoln Alexander), and varied use (p. 244). The Constitution of Canada and a visitation of numerous provincial websites typically indicate Lieutenant Governor (of Province) (upper case and no hyphen), likely due to the primacy of those positions in their respective jurisdictions.
- For consistency in Wikipedia, the Oxford standard can be used when referring to Canadian lieutenant-governors.