The McWetlog

Former Governor General Ed Schreyer is apparently running for the NDP in Selkirk-Interlake; an announcement is scheduled for later today. This would mark the first time that a former vice-regal representative has re-entered the political arena, though Schreyer has said some partisan things during elections after his term ended in 1984.

Somehow, though, this feels a bit unseemly — as though Prince Charles decided to be a candidate for the Liberal Democrats. But it raises an interesting question about what heads of state, ceremonial or otherwise, are supposed to do with themselves after their terms end, especially when they’re appointed so young (Schreyer is 69 now, so he was in his forties during his term). This wasn’t a problem when governors general, presidents and the like were generally old men; what was next was they retired, and probably died in fairly short order.

If nothing else, this plus Ed Broadbent’s return last time (he’s not running again) suggests that the NDP has definitely got an elder-statesman jones going on.