Another old white guy for Governor General

Shocking, Prime Minister Harper has appointed someone who replicates his base to fill the shoes of Michaëlle Jean as Governor General of Canada. David Johnston will assume the role of the Queen's representative in Canada once Jean's term expires. Johnston is a legal scholar and President of the University of Waterloo. Apparently Johnston, when he was Principal and Vice-Chancellor at McGill University, displayed a complete lack of courage and resolve in the early 1980s when McGill wanted to part from its holdings in South Africa. Harper also appointed Johnston as an independent advisor in 2007 to write terms of reference for the government for a public inquiry regarding the Mulroney-Schreiber affair. Johston however once worked for and reported to Brian Mulroney when he was Prime Minister of Canada. Another yes-man to do Harper's bidding? From CBC News:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is hailing his choice for the country's next governor general, saying Canadian legal scholar and University of Waterloo president David Johnston "represents the best of Canada."

After weeks of speculation, the Prime Minister's Office announced Thursday that Johnston has been approved by the Queen and will take over on Oct. 1 after Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean's term ends.

"He represents hard work, dedication, public service and humility," the prime minister said in a statement. "I am confident he will continue to embody these traits in his new role as the Crown's representative in Canada."

Johnston, 69, is expected to issue a statement at 11 a.m. ET Thursday in the Senate foyer in Ottawa.

The Sudbury, Ont.,-born Johnston has served on numerous provincial and federal task forces and committees. He is widely considered as an expert in constitutional law, which observers have said could serve him well in his new position.

Jean, appointed in 2005, generated considerable national attention and triggered a fierce debate over the governor general's role when she twice granted Harper's requests to prorogue Parliament.

The first time came in December 2008 when Harper's Conservative government was under threat of defeat in the House of Commons at the hands of a proposed coalition between the Liberals and NDP with the signed support of the Bloc Québécois.

The governor general is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the prime minister and acts as the Queen's representative in Canada and Canada's de facto head of state. The term is five years and can be extended to seven.

Advised PM on Schreiber inquiry terms

Johnston is perhaps best known for advising the federal Conservative government on what shape a public inquiry into the dealings between former prime minister Brian Mulroney and businessman Karlheinz Schreiber should take.

Johnston taught law at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., and the University of Toronto after earning degrees at Queen's, Harvard University and Cambridge University.

He was also the principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University in Montreal and dean of the faculty of law at the University of Western Ontario in London.

An author of several books, Johnston is also a companion of the Order of Canada.

Johnston shook hands with Queen Elizabeth on Monday in Toronto, but it was not a formal meeting. He is expected to travel to England to officially meet with the Queen this summer.

He and his wife, Sharon Johnston, have five daughters.

Jean, who has served as Governor General since Sept. 27, 2005, will serve as UNESCO's special envoy in Haiti after her term ends.