Brilliant move

I am not a fan of Mark Carney, but inviting our head of state, King Charles, to deliver the upcoming Throne Speech is a brilliant move on two fronts:  First it cements and reinforces Canadian sovereignty in the face of Trump's 51st state nonsense and second, it one-ups the U.S. president who doesn't have a King or Queen.

Trump is an enthusiastic monarchist, but the U.S. doesn't have a King.  We do and it's about time we invited our head of state to fulfill the role and deliver the speech.  However, the ignorance of the average Canadian was on full and shameful display in 'The Globe' today, in which a letter writer said it was an insult for the King to give the speech, instead of the Governor General.  

How dumb can you be??!!  The GG is the representative of the Monarch -- not the other way around!  The Monarch is the Head of State, not the GG.  The latter gives the speech in the absence, and in place of, the Monarch.  Shows you how desperately Canadian children need to be taught civics.  Gawd!

A Monarch hasn't given the speech from the throne in Canada since 1977, when Queen Elizabeth was invited to the Senate chamber to deliver it.  Pierre Trudeau was prime minister back then and he invited her -- not, however, for the same reasons as Carney.

The last Monarch to deliver the Canadian throne speech.

Trudeau did it to give the finger to the Separatists -- something he loved doing at every opportunity because he was an avowed contrarian.  Carney, on the other hand, is a dedicated monarchist who believes in the Commonwealth.  In fact, he went to Oxford on a Commonwealth scholarship, something he celebrates.

(Note:  One of my offspring also went to a Commonwealth university in Australia to obtain a post-graduate teaching degree, after earning an honours degree at Queen's University.  Special consideration is always given to students from Commonwealth countries seeking entry to universities in other kindred countries.)   

As for his upcoming visit to Trump, I hope Carney has taken careful steps to avoid the kind of ambush the former pulls on every head of state and president who steps under the lintel and over the threshold of the oval office.

Zelensky got a hiding during that turkey shoot, as both Vance and Trump ganged up and mercilessly pilloried him.  Zelensky -- a brigand of the first order -- deserved it, but I don't think Carney should be subjected to the kind of beating to which the Ukrainian bandit and outlaw was subjected.   

But if not the oval office, where else would they meet?  Sadly, it'll be "come into my lair" for Carney.  I only hope his years as a global banker and celebrity will stand him in good stead and steel him during that encounter. 

Hopefully, Carney won't find himself under Trump's heel.