Madame Jean, her husband, His Excellency Jean-Daniel Lafond and their daughter, Marie-Eden, in the Senate Chamber.
The role of the governor general dates back nearly 400 years to 1608 when Samuel de Champlain acted as the Governor of New France, establishing what has become the oldest continuing public office in Canada. Canada became a country at Confederation in 1867. Our system of government is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is Queen of Canada and head of State. Sworn in on September 27, 2005, the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, 27th governor general since Confederation, represents the Crown in Canada and carries out the duties of head of State. The following are excerpts from her installation speech.
Here today, I am turning a significant page in my own story as I set off on this new adventure with hope and determination. I know how precious that freedom is; I know what a legacy it is for every child, for every citizen of this country. I, whose ancestors were slaves, who was born into a civilization long reduced to whispers and cries of pain, know something about its price, and I know too what a treasure it is for us all.
Every Canadian woman, every Canadian man prizes that freedom and would defy anyone who tried to take it away—of that I have no doubt. Freedom has marked our history and our territory; it has marked our summer breezes and our howling winter winds. It has helped create the spirit of adventure that I love above all in this country, this country where each and every one of us is able to participate fully in the ongoing task of building it. We are encouraged to believe that everything is possible in this country, and my own adventure represents, for me and for others, a spark of hope that I want kept alive for the greatest number.
As a journalist, the profession I practised with passion and resolve, I have been a privileged witness both of a good many upheavals and of an unprecedented opening onto the world. I pledge that I will go on listening and that my curiosity will remain keen. There is an observation by Montesquieu, a philosopher of the Enlightenment, that has a particular resonance for me. It states: "The duty of the citizen becomes a crime if it makes him forget the duty of the man." To this, I would of course add "the duty of the woman," because we want recognition as full-fledged citizens in our own right.
I hope with all my heart that, together, we can call upon the vigour of our shared history to realize our dearest and most ambitious wish: to make a better world.
Read the full text of Governor General Michaëlle Jean's installation speech at www.gg.ca.
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