Adrienne Clarkson Health Declines During Her Position as Governor General

To learn more about Canadian or Quebec politics, both McGill University and Concordia University in Montreal offer wonderful political science degrees, that you may want to look into.

Montreal's Concordia University has a wonderful women's studies program at the Simone do Beauvoir Institute

The duties of a governor general is to represent the ruling British Monarch in Canada. The governor general carries out administrative duties and also celebratory or festive activities. We will now look at the three female governor generals of Canada, two of which were from Montreal.

The political climate in 2004 was rather unstable, Prime Minister Paul Martin asked Adrienne Clarkson to stay on an additional year to preserve the stability of the country. The elections would bring in a minority government for the country and a stable figure as the Queen's representative was thought to be a good thing. This came at a time when Adrienne Clarkson was being questioned about her style of protocol in office and her traveling expenses. It is to be noted that all her expenses had been approved by Parliament before Adrienne embarked upon her trips.

There was talk at the time that Adrienne Clarkson would have to decide whether or not to call a general election or ask the opposition party to form a new government, thus forcing her hand in politics, but this situation never presented itself.

Note: The governor general does not normally call a new election on his/her own, it is the Prime minister of Canada that advises him or her to do so.

Heart problems

Adrienne Clarkson's health took a turn for the worst and she was admitted to a hospital in Toronto on July 8, 2005 for a pacemaker implant. Beverley McLachlin, served in Clarkson's place while she was recooperating. Malaughlin is the first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. She was also the Deputy of the Governor General at the time Adrienne Clarkson became ill.

Note: Adrienne Clarkson still dedicated to her position, returned to office the same month to resume her duties.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrienne_Clarkson