The Monarchist 1.0
Defending the British Crown Commonwealth and the English-Speaking Peoples
[+] HONOURING OUR PATRON, SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL, VICTOR OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEOPLES
[+] HONOURING OUR QUEEN, ELIZABETH THE SECOND, ON THE 80TH YEAR OF HER BIRTH (1926 - 2006)
[+] HONOURING OUR KING, SAINT EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, ON THE 1000TH YEAR OF HIS BIRTH (1005 - 2005)
[+] HONOURING OUR HERO, LORD NELSON, ON THE BICENTENNIAL OF THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR (1805 - 2005)
[+] HONOURING OUR SONS, THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH SOLDIERS KILLED IN THE 'WAR ON TERROR'
Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard, 46, Royal Canadian Regiment, Nov 27, 2006 (Afstan)
Staff Sergeant Sharron Elliott, 34, Intelligence Corps, Nov 12, 2006 (Iraq)
Private Jacob B. Kovco, 25, Royal Australian Regiment, April 21, 2006
[+] HONOURING OUR VETS ON THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VICTORIA CROSS (1856 - 2006)
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
My First Cabinet Meeting
A wise general rule of thumb I make a point of living by is not to blog about work. Normally what one does with his own private time is nobody else's beeswax, but blogging as a private hobby has one minor drawback to this way of looking at things: it's so totally in the public domain. And because it's so totally out there for public consumption, it behooves us to be prudent about what we say and how we say it. In fact, when it comes to our work, it's best we don't say it at all.
Today, however, I'll make an exception, for yesterday in my capacity as an advisor to the government of the day, I attended a sitting session of the Executive Council of Ontario behind closed doors witnessing a government operating in accordance with the unwritten conventions of the Westminster system. Only a tiny fraction of us ever get the privilege of being a participant at such a proceeding, but there I was sitting at the Cabinet table at Queen's Park for about 30 minutes, observing ministers of the crown across from me debating the merits of some Order-in Council, the effect of which would have repercussions for some small town, if some ministry wasn't granted the authority by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council to provide some sort of assistance.
As this debate was going on, I was struck by two things: Both how apolitical it all seemed and how humbled I felt being a part of it. One disadvantage for having a great deal of respect for our traditional everyday institutions, is that one can feel awestruck by the unfamiliar surroundings of people wielding power before your very eyes, even intimidated by it. I couldn't help but notice how the large and lovely 1950s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II over the absolutely gorgeous fire mantel offered an immense dignity to the proceedings. The 18th century red-coat battle scene on oil canvass along the entire length of one oak-paneled wall of the cabinet room added to the atmosphere. It felt so British in that room; that gentleman's den, that I imagined lighting a cigar right then and there and inviting the ministers for a drink over at the marble fireplace. The fact that I was a closet Tory in a room filled with Liberal ministers didn't for once even enter my mind. That these were the same folks that just a couple years earlier had raised the taxes of 12 million provincial citizens just weeks after boldly pledging that they would not, also did not enter my mind. All was forgotten. I was enjoying my moment.
I could tell that it was different for most everyone in the room. I could tell that some political staffers were getting off on the sheer power of it all, that some saw it rewarding in a strictly professional and policy sense and that few, if any, actually felt the reverence of the occasion like I did, or appreciated the long-standing British democratic traditions that inspired it. But then again, I was green to the proceedings. Unlike them, I was a little awestruck. I took it all in even as I anticipated some demanding question at any moment from a minister or even the premier. None came. Cabinet had performed it due diligence on the strength of my briefing note. It was over so quickly. What a privilege and an honour to say the least. To be in the service of Her Majesty The Queen.
POSTED BY: The Monarchist AT 8:58 a.m. | LINKS |
A wise general rule of thumb I make a point of living by is not to blog about work. Normally what one does with his own private time is nobody else's beeswax, but blogging as a private hobby has one minor drawback to this way of looking at things: it's so totally in the public domain. And because it's so totally out there for public consumption, it behooves us to be prudent about what we say and how we say it. In fact, when it comes to our work, it's best we don't say it at all.
Today, however, I'll make an exception, for yesterday in my capacity as an advisor to the government of the day, I attended a sitting session of the Executive Council of Ontario behind closed doors witnessing a government operating in accordance with the unwritten conventions of the Westminster system. Only a tiny fraction of us ever get the privilege of being a participant at such a proceeding, but there I was sitting at the Cabinet table at Queen's Park for about 30 minutes, observing ministers of the crown across from me debating the merits of some Order-in Council, the effect of which would have repercussions for some small town, if some ministry wasn't granted the authority by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council to provide some sort of assistance.
As this debate was going on, I was struck by two things: Both how apolitical it all seemed and how humbled I felt being a part of it. One disadvantage for having a great deal of respect for our traditional everyday institutions, is that one can feel awestruck by the unfamiliar surroundings of people wielding power before your very eyes, even intimidated by it. I couldn't help but notice how the large and lovely 1950s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II over the absolutely gorgeous fire mantel offered an immense dignity to the proceedings. The 18th century red-coat battle scene on oil canvass along the entire length of one oak-paneled wall of the cabinet room added to the atmosphere. It felt so British in that room; that gentleman's den, that I imagined lighting a cigar right then and there and inviting the ministers for a drink over at the marble fireplace. The fact that I was a closet Tory in a room filled with Liberal ministers didn't for once even enter my mind. That these were the same folks that just a couple years earlier had raised the taxes of 12 million provincial citizens just weeks after boldly pledging that they would not, also did not enter my mind. All was forgotten. I was enjoying my moment.
I could tell that it was different for most everyone in the room. I could tell that some political staffers were getting off on the sheer power of it all, that some saw it rewarding in a strictly professional and policy sense and that few, if any, actually felt the reverence of the occasion like I did, or appreciated the long-standing British democratic traditions that inspired it. But then again, I was green to the proceedings. Unlike them, I was a little awestruck. I took it all in even as I anticipated some demanding question at any moment from a minister or even the premier. None came. Cabinet had performed it due diligence on the strength of my briefing note. It was over so quickly. What a privilege and an honour to say the least. To be in the service of Her Majesty The Queen.
POSTED BY: The Monarchist AT 8:58 a.m. | LINKS |
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