Australia 1975

[Cubby]

I remember you explained this event to me a while back Hugh

People complain about the Electoral College, what happened in Australia is even less democratic since no election was involved and some appointee from another country made the big decision. You guys really need to be like Canada and become fully independent. I love Great Britain too but your political system shouldn't be controlled by one of Queen Elizabeth's appointees.

[Cubby]

I remember you explained this event to me a while back Hugh

People complain about the Electoral College, what happened in Australia is even less democratic since no election was involved and some appointee from another country made the big decision. You guys really need to be like Canada and become fully independent. I love Great Britain too but your political system shouldn't be controlled by one of Queen Elizabeth's appointees.

Canada has a Governor General too (although the title doesn't have a hyphen like in every other Commonwealth country and I have no clue why). And the position is appointed by the Queen only at the "advice" of the Prime Minister, meaning the PM basically does it, much like how after appointed almost every action the Governor(-)General does is at the "advice" of the PM, this case being a very rare exception. That's why it became such a constitutional crisis.

I thought that Canada's Governor General was appointed by Paul Martin himself, she's a black TV star, I don't remember her name. But if Canada became a nation in 1867, didn't they become fully independent in 1982, ending the GG link with England?

[Cubby]

I remember you explained this event to me a while back Hugh

People complain about the Electoral College, what happened in Australia is even less democratic since no election was involved and some appointee from another country made the big decision. You guys really need to be like Canada and become fully independent. I love Great Britain too but your political system shouldn't be controlled by one of Queen Elizabeth's appointees.

Canada has a Governor General too (although the title doesn't have a hyphen like in every other Commonwealth country and I have no clue why). And the position is appointed by the Queen only at the "advice" of the Prime Minister, meaning the PM basically does it, much like how after appointed almost every action the Governor(-)General does is at the "advice" of the PM, this case being a very rare exception. That's why it became such a constitutional crisis.

I thought that Canada's Governor General was appointed by Paul Martin himself, she's a black TV star, I don't remember her name. But if Canada became a nation in 1867, didn't they become fully independent in 1982, ending the GG link with England?

Ever sinec 1967, the UK has never had any form of control over Canada beyond symbolic measures, the US actually has more control over some of our former colonies in the Pacific which are now theoretically sovereign. The Queen is still Head of State in Canada, but in theory she simply holds the title "Queen of Canada" in addition to "Queen of the United Kingdom", it's not that the Queen of the UK holds any sovereignty over Canada. Same situation in Australia. And the GG is de facto appointed by the PM, but in theory appointed by the Queen, it's just kind of a given that the monarch will never refuse the PM's suggestion. Much like how the Queen in theory still holds veto power over legislation passed in the UK, but no monarch has used it since the 18th century.

Just to get an idea over how ridiculous this type of stuff can get, after Ireland became independent, it initially also at first recognized the British monarch as head of state. As Ireland was part of the UK before, the King held the title "King of Great Britain and Ireland". He continued to hold this title after independence, which he technically was, however the Irish threw a fit about it, and eventually got it so that instead he simply held both the titles "King of Great Britain" and "King of Ireland" as opposed to having them combined.

If Canada is fully independent I don't see why they need a Governor General at all. Its not just for symbolism since we see in Australia what can happen.