Canada: Paul Martin's appointments: New GG, 5 new Senators, soon a new Supreme Court Justice

FLASH UPDATE: Supreme Court seat opens for Westerner
Race begins after resignation opens spot on Supreme Court

Eminent jurists from Western Canada can now place a job at the Supreme Court of Canada at the top of their Christmas wish lists since Alberta's Justice Jack Major will step down Dec. 25, CanWest News Service has learned.

But "race" - what race? A panel of experts now selects candidates, without even the profession having a say in it, complains the presdient of the Canadian Bar Association. The procedure set up by Minister of Justice, Irwin Colter, and his Boss is only slightly bnetter than the Royal-Edict procedure of Paul Martin in the last round of imposing Supreme Court Justices on his own say-so-period.

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Senate appointments
Conservatives get key 'Red Tory,' Hugh Segal, in Senate

Segal ready to wave Tory flag, CBCNews.com
Segal's appointment raises eyebrows, by Gloria Galloway, Globe & Mail, August 4, 2005.

Award-winning linkline from Norm Specter Wed, Aug 3, lead runner-up story: Martin appoints friend to Senate, despite pledge to end cronyism.

PM fills five Senate posts with friends - and foesAppointments include two Tories as well as two former Liberal MPs, by Brian Laghi, Globe & Mail, August 3, 2005.

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Governor-General appointment

PM presents Michaëlle Jean as next governor-general, by Katie Rook, Globe & Mail, August 4, 2005.

Ibbitson via Spector on Mdme. Michaëlle Jean I cribbed the following from Norman Spector. The scene at his site seems to change rapidly. If you can find the item, the rest of it - more power to you. - Owlb

The Globe and Mail’s John Ibbitson weighs in on the new GG

Whatever criticism does attach to this choice, Paul Martin has probably made a politically astute move by selecting Ms. Jean. The informal principle of rotation dictated that the next governor-general should be francophone. The Liberals however, had toyed with the idea of selecting an aboriginal leader instead. In the end, none could be found who were available, met the requisite demands and were fluently bilingual. Besides, there was political peril in violating the rotation principle: Quebeckers would probably not reward the Liberals for selecting a Quebecker as governor-general, but they might have punished them for not doing so. In that respect, if in no other, appointing Ms. Jean was the safe thing to do.

CBC's Jean our new head of state Canada's Next Governor-General: Montreal journalist, 48, to replace Clarkson on Oct. 1. By Hubert Bauch, Koel Kom, Liz Ferguson, The Gazette and CanWest News Services, August 04, 2005.

- Politicarp