Adrienne Clarkson

The Right Honourable Adrienne Louise Clarkson, PC, CC, CMM, COM, CD, LL.D (born February 10, 1939) was the Governor General of Canada from October 7, 1999 to September 27, 2005. She was the first Chinese Canadian and second woman to hold this position, the first being Jeanne Sauvé.

Governor General

On October 7, 1999 she was sworn in as the twenty-sixth Governor General of Canada, after being appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, Canada?s head of state, on the advice of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Clarkson is the first non-white Canadian Governor General, the second female, and the first without a military or political background.

Related Topics:
October 7 - 1999 - Elizabeth II - Jean Chrétien

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Following the terrorist attacks United States on September 11, 2001, Governor General Clarkson praised Operation Yellow Ribbon, saying that "communities across the country selflessly opened their homes and hearts to stranded air travellers." Chrétien and U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci would also do the same thing. The three would later stand together on Parliament Hill during the memorial service to honour the attacks' victims on September 14, 2001, which over 100,000 attended—the largest single vigil ever seen in the nation's capital.

Related Topics:
Terrorist attacks United States on September 11, 2001 - Operation Yellow Ribbon - Paul Cellucci - Parliament Hill - September 14 - 2001

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As Governor General she acted as Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces. In this capacity she visited the battle group aiding the invasion of Afghanistan in 2002. During her last days in office, Clarkson was given a large farewell ceremony by the Canadian Armed Forces. She has been widely praised by many Canadians for being the first Governor General to take the role of Commander-in-Chief seriously. She has also been credited for helping to boost Canadian pride in the armed forces.

Related Topics:
Commander-in-Chief - Canadian Armed Forces - Invasion of Afghanistan - 2002

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Controversies

Throughout the first few years of her term in office, Clarkson was praised as being a more modern Governor General and bringing more public attention to the office than in recent decades. Criticism soon ensued, however, regarding the way she and her office spent money. Under her tenure, the office's spending has increased almost 200%. The budget for 2003 was estimated to be at $41 million. Part of this increase was due to accounting reasons: several costs associated with the Governor General that were formerly paid by various government ministries were transferred to the Governor General's office, such as bodyguard services.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In late 2003 she undertook a 19-day circumpolar "northern identity" tour to Russia, Finland, and Iceland, along with 50 other prominent Canadians which was seen as a waste of money by some of the Canadian public, particularly after several scandals surrounding high spending in the government, notably the sponsorship scandal and the lavish expense claims of Privacy Commissioner George Radwanski; but her office defended the trip as successful, particularly with regard to her warm reception in Russia and her meeting with Vladimir Putin. The trip was commissioned and paid for by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; however, the general itinerary was under her office's control. A scheduled continuation of the circumpolar "northern identity" tour that would have included visits to Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Greenland was scrapped by the Federal Government in early 2004. The increase in spending resulted in some politicians calling for the role of the Governor General to be reduced or even for the position to be eliminated. A poll taken late in 2003 found a majority of Canadians thought Clarkson was "too grand" for the office.

Related Topics:
2003 - Russia - Finland - Iceland - Sponsorship scandal - Privacy Commissioner - George Radwanski - Vladimir Putin - Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade - Sweden - Denmark - Norway - Greenland - 2004

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2004, Clarkson and her office were once again in hot water; this time with Canadian monarchists. During a ceremony to recognize Canada's involvement at Juno Beach in the D-Day landings of 1944, Clarkson's office claimed that she was attending as Canada's Head of State, when in fact the Queen, who was in attendance at the ceremony, is Canada's Head of State and should have been treated as the senior official in attendance. Rideau Hall later retracted the statement saying that it was an error of a junior official.

Related Topics:
2004 - Juno Beach - D-Day landings - 1944 - Rideau Hall

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During a visit to Vancouver in September 2004, Clarkson was booed and hissed at by a small, though very vocal, group of protesters. She was on a goodwill tour of a poor area of the city; however, the protesters argued that her visit was nothing more than a publicity stunt to try and gain some of her lost popular support to get her time in office extended. In November 2004 it was announced that Clarkson's budget would be cut by ten percent, despite the fact that it has been parliament itself that had approved her budget each year.

Related Topics:
Vancouver - 2004

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In early 2005 there were mixed feelings amongst Canadian Monarchists as to her role in the changing of Canada's Letters of Credence and Letters of Recall, which no longer refer to the Queen as Canada's head of state. Clarkson, as both the Queen's and the Crown's representative, could (and should, many monarchists felt) have vetoed that change.

Related Topics:
2005 - Letters of Credence - Letters of Recall

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In January 2005, some expressed disappointment that Clarkson did not attend a memorial service for Alberta's late Lieutenant-Governor Lois Hole. Rideau Hall issued a statement saying that Clarkson could not attend because she was out of the country to represent Canada at the inauguration of the President of Ukraine, Mr. Victor Yushchenko; however, the inauguration was postponed and some felt Clarkson could have returned to Canada for the service.

Related Topics:
2005 - Alberta - Lieutenant-Governor - Lois Hole - Ukraine - Victor Yushchenko - Canada

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was later reported in The Toronto Sun and The Globe and Mail that after the postponement of the inauguration, Clarkson would base herself in Paris until a new date was set. This led to more outrage in the press. Further confusion was created when Rideau Hall informed the public that the Governor General was also to attend an audience of the Queen at Sandringham House. Rideau Hall stated that this dinner had been a "long-standing engagement"; however, the press later reported that sources at Buckingham Palace said the dinner was actually booked at the last minute. In response, some monarchists began lobbying Clarkson to resign if she had willingly used the Queen for publicity and damage control purposes.

Related Topics:
The Toronto Sun - The Globe and Mail - The Queen - Sandringham

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In March 2005, there was again question over Clarkson's spending after it was reported she intends to make official visits to Spain and The Netherlands. Many were also upset with her decision not to attend the VE Day celebrations in Europe on May 8 2005. However, Prime Minister Paul Martin has asked that she and her husband, John Ralston Saul, participate in the VE Day celebrations in the Netherlands and Moscow. Martin cancelled his planned trip due to the situation his minority government was in as the opposition Conservatives wanted to topple his Liberals for an election. http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/news.asp?id=469 http://www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=4432

Related Topics:
March - 2005 - Spain - The Netherlands - VE Day - May 8 - Paul Martin - John Ralston Saul - Minority government - Conservatives - Liberals - Election

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Legacy

Despite the criticism, Ms. Clarkson and her husband travelled across Canada and meet more Canadians than any other Governor General in Canadian history. She went to Kosovo to meet the troops, spent Christmas with the troops in the Persian Gulf on a Canadian destroyer and spent New Year's Day with Canadian troops in Afghanistan. Ms. Clarkson also wrote most of her speeches. Clarkson's tenure has been notable for her patronage of the arts.

Related Topics:
Kosovo - Persian Gulf

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She is married to Canadian author and philosopher John Ralston Saul, with whom she has lived since 1984 and married in 1999. Adrienne Clarkson is also the sister-in-law of Senator Vivienne Poy.

Related Topics:
1984 - 1999 - Senator - Vivienne Poy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While some Chinese Canadians feel pride in Clarkson's literary and political achievement, other Chinese Canadians point out that Clarkson has never made much of an effort to embrace her Chinese heritage. For example, although her parents were fluent in Chinese, Clarkson is not. Some thus find Clarkson to be without regard for her Chinese ancestry, and believe she has not been very representative of her minority group while in office.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Clarkson was asked, and agreed, to remain in office for an additional year to provide stability as the country faced the potential constitutional difficulties of a minority government; other past Governors General have had their times in office extended in such circumstances, such as Roland Michener and Georges Vanier. This decision however, was met with mixed feelings across the country. (The Globe and Mail)

Related Topics:
Roland Michener - Georges Vanier

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On March 10, 2005, Clarkson announced that she would create a new trophy for women's hockey in Canada.

Related Topics:
March 10 - 2005 - Hockey

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On September 14, 2005 she announced that the new "Clarkson Cup" would be created by artist Beth Biggs of Iqaluit, Nunavut, along with the assistance of students from the Nunavut Arctic College. The details of how the competition will be arranged and the trophy awarded have not yet been announced. The Stanley Cup, the equivalent trophy for men's hockey, was donated in 1892 by a predecessor of Clarkson's, Lord Stanley.)

Related Topics:
September 14 - 2005 - Clarkson Cup - Beth Biggs - Iqaluit - Nunavut - Nunavut Arctic College - Stanley Cup - Hockey - 1892 - Lord Stanley

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On July 8, 2005, Clarkson was admitted to hospital, to install a pacemaker. http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2005/08/c0084.html On July 9, 2005, a notice posted on Clarkson's website said the operation was successful and she was resting in an undisclosed hospital in Toronto.

Related Topics:
July 8 - 2005 - Pacemaker - July 9 - Operation - Hospital - Toronto

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Shortly after her surgery, the Prime Minister's office confirmed that they were in the process of selecting a recommendation for the new Governor General. Haitian-born CBC broadcaster Michaëlle Jean was named as Clarkson's replacement on August 4, 2005 by Prime Minister Paul Martin. Jean replaced Clarkson on September 27, 2005. Jean recognised Clarkson as having "infused the office with a new energy", for "promot artists and their achievements from across Canada", and for her "close work with aboriginal communities". It has also been reported that Clarkson and Saul have purchased a new home in Toronto and are due to take possession at the end of September 2005. She has hinted she will be working with Institute for Canadian Citizenship after stepping down as Governor General.

Related Topics:
Haiti - CBC - Michaëlle Jean - August 4 - 2005 - Paul Martin - September 27 - Toronto - September - Institute for Canadian Citizenship

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Much of her self imposed mandate was the bring attention to Northern Canada. On September 15th 2005 she announced the creation of the Governor General's Northern Medal. This will be awarded annually to a citizen whose actions and achievements have contributed to the evolution and constant reaffirmation of the Canadian North as part of the national identity. http://www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=4556

Related Topics:
September - 2005 - Governor General's Northern Medal

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Following tradition Clarkson and Saul were to have planted two ceremonial oak trees to mark the end of her term in office on September 26, 2005 at 2:00 p.m. EST but this was cancelled due to bad weather. http://www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=4567 That morning she attended a celebration at Parliament Hill in which Members of the House of Commons thanked her for her work. The Prime Minister personally expressed his thanks to her for remaining in office an extra year. At this ceremony, following tradition, Clarkson was presented with the Flag of the Governor General which flew at parliament when she was in attendance.

Related Topics:
September - 2005

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One final controversy took place in the final days of Clarkon's term. She decided to attend the swearing in of her successor, Mme Jean. This was the first time in over 100 years that a Governor General attended the swearing in of his/her successor. She and Saul drove in a Toyota after the swearing in and headed to Toronto, where they have house in the city's Cabbagetown, to resume their lives as private citizens.

Related Topics:
Toyota - Toronto - Cabbagetown

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite a rather controversial term in office, many credit Clarkson for being the first relevant Governor General since Vincent Massey in the 1950s.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~