While Governor General David Johnston’s first state visit generated plenty of press interest in the three Asian countries on his itinerary, no Canadian journalists took part in the tour. That’s unfortunate. Their reporting would have let Canadians follow their twenty-eighth Governor General’s eleven-day blitz highlighting our ties to the region and celebrating Canadians’ achievements in education, innovation and trade.

Most of us are familiar with the symbolic aspects of the Governor General’s role: he receives diplomats, presents awards, signs bills into law and reads the throne speech at the opening of Parliament.

All of this is included in his responsibilities, but it is only part of the job. The Governor General also plays a critical role in preserving Canada’s constitution, and may have to make tough decisions in political crises, as Michaëlle Jean did just three years ago when the Prime Minister asked her to prorogue Parliament to delay a vote of non-confidence until after the Christmas break.

Unlike the US system, Canada’s government separates the roles of head of government and head of state. Having a Governor General who is outside partisan politics to protect our constitutional traditions provides continuity and confidence—politicians may come and go, but the institution of government remains intact.

What qualities are needed in the person assuming these responsibilities?

Governor Generals represent all Canadians. Even if they have spent time in active politics, they must be seen as being both scrupulously fair and having the experience and judgment to guide the country during a crisis. The job demands someone whose life exemplifies achievement, service and integrity, and inspires citizens to achieve their full potential.

The current Governor General easily meets those criteria. Born in northern Ontario, David Johnston was educated at Harvard, where he captained the university’s hockey team, before continuing his education at Cambridge and Queens. Although trained as a lawyer, he devoted his life to education, serving as Dean of the University of Western Ontario’s law school, Principal of McGill and, finally, President of the University of Waterloo. Along the way, he served on several corporate and community boards, moderated federal leaders debates, and chaired task forces and commissions at both senior levels of government.

Through all of this, his passion has been education, a priority he signaled during his installation last year. It was also a key focus for his first state visit.

His first year was spent traveling Canada and meeting Canadians. This was his first trip representing Canada abroad, and it was to a region of growing importance to Canada.

So how did he do? Some of us who accompanied him had known him over the years, but this intensive three-country tour provided an up-close view of his style. A number of things stood out for me.

At seventy, the Governor General was the oldest participant on the trip, but he set a pace that left people half his age struggling to keep up. Seemingly unaffected either by jetlag or fourteen-hour days, he would complete the official functions and then seek out members of the delegation or our diplomats stationed in the three countries to get their views on the day’s events.

Where other officials might have seen their role as strictly ceremonial, he definitely did not. The Governor General led the discussions and brought his personal expertise to the table. The mission’s priorities were his own: highlighting education’s role in a country’s prosperity, holding innovation roundtables with local experts, and meeting business leaders to discuss how to deepen Canada’s economic relationship with Asia. In speeches at universities, and in visits to churches and a Muslem community group in Singapore, he stressed the strength our ethnic and religious pluralism brings Canada.

The people we met live under quite different systems of government and the Governor General’s role was often something of a mystery to them. But, while they may not have understood the office, they were touched by the warmth, the intelligence and the passion of the man who holds it. If the Government’s aim was to raise the profile and respect for Canada in Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore, that goal was certainly achieved.

Our final night was a state dinner hosted by the President of Singapore. While such events are often stilted affairs, the two had connected with each other as educators. None of us was surprised when it was the Governor General’s responded to the President’s toast by setting aside his prepared notes and speaking movingly of education, familiy and the ties between our two countries. In his modest and thoughtful way, he knocked the ball out of the park.

In a long career, I have known many kinds of leaders, each with his or her own style. I have seen few for whom the office was better suited or who has brought more grace to his responsibilities.

- Perrin