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No matter which type of government you live under in the 15 of the commonwealth nations that recognize the Queen of England as their monarch, there is a governor general nationally and a lieutenant governor regionally.

The role is that of a de facto head of state. It's primarily ceremonial, that is, until it isn't. In the 2017 British Columbia provincial election, you will recall the liberals won 43 seats, the NDP won 41, and the Green Party won three seats.

Now, here's where the lieutenant governor transition from a ceremonial role to a formal one, one that determined the outcome of the election. The LG at the time was Judith Guichon, and she became the final vote in the 2017 election.

Conversations That Matter is an Oh Boy Productions program. Please help us to continue to produce this program by making a donation at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv Former premier Christy Clarke asked the LG to let her form a government with a party that was one seat short of the majority needed. Ms. Guichon turned down the request and offered opposition leader John Horgan, who, in an alliance with the Green Party, represented a majority to form a government.

In March of 2018, Janet Austin, the former CEO of the YWCA, was asked to take over the position, a role you cannot apply for, a demanding position that requires the LG's presence on behalf of the government throughout the province. As LG, Ms. Austin reports to the Queen.

We invited BC's lieutenant governor, Janet Austin, to join us for a conversation that matters about the role of the Queen's representative in British Columbia and the objectives she has set out for her five-year term.

- [Narrator] Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.

- I, like so many people, look at the role of lieutenant governor and say, well, what exactly is your role, what's your relationship to our government, provincially, nationally, to the Queen?

- It's such a common question, and I think it's a really important part of my role to be able to describe it in a way that is meaningful to people. But I think our constitutional monarchy has the Queen as head of state and our premier as head of government in British Columbia, and, of course, our prime minister as head of government in Canada. I think there's a few things about our constitutional monarchy that are extremely important. One is it connects us to a tradition of stability, it connects us externally to the commonwealths, it connects us to a parliamentary democracy, our history, equality under the rule of law. So, these principles are entrenched in a constitutional democracy. And I think, in many ways, they distinguish our country from the kind of dysfunction and discord that we see emerging elsewhere around the world. So, I think there's something in it that is greatly to be valued and nurtured.

- So, how does it protect us against that dysfunction?

- I think because we have an historic tradition, where you have that separation of the head of state and the head of government. And although it is convention and largely ceremonial, the actual authority does, in fact, is held by the Queen, and on her, I represent her in British Columbia, and, of course, Her Excellency Julie Payette represents her in Canada. So, I think it's more a convention, and it's more a tradition, but, in fact, the position holds an incredible amount of power,

- [Stuart] Mm-hmm.

- which is not exercised by convention, but nonetheless exists. And we certainly have seen

Conversations That Matter is an Oh Boy Productions program. Please help us to continue to produce this program by making a donation at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv that in the last provincial election, where my predecessor, Judith Guichon, played a very important role in making a critical and a fundamental decision, with respect to the government of British Columbia.

- Well, ultimately, her vote is the one that determined the way that we were gonna be governed.

- Absolutely. So, is it--

- And I think a lotta people went, huh?

- Yes. And it caused people, I think, to reflect on what the role actually is and to recognize that there is a continuity there, which distinguishes us from many countries around the world.

- Mm-hmm, because you're not going to court to settle this.

- No, no.

- You actually are coming to the lieutenant governor, or governor general, in the case of nationally,

- Yeah, mm-hmm.

- and saying, OK, this is the situation. And so, do they ask you whether or not they can form government, or do you ask them?

- I haven't actually been in the position yet. So, so, I think,

- Where you had to--

- but it is the, that they would come and request the opportunity to form government.

- Wow, so it truly does have a tremendous amount of power. Now, whether there's a clear-cut majority in an election, and it's a pretty easy answer, but as we saw in the last

- Yes.

- provincial election, it was very complicated and very challenging.

- Absolutely, yeah. Yes, and I think those circumstances are few and far between, but the potential certainly exists for that kind of circumstance to occur again. And should that be the case, I will certainly have done my homework and done my best to consider the range of different scenarios that I might confront, and to prepare myself by seeking legal advice Conversations That Matter is an Oh Boy Productions program. Please help us to continue to produce this program by making a donation at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv broadly, and preparing to be able to exercise judgment in the event that I might have to.

- Just gotta get you to hang on for a second while we take our quick commercial break. We'll be right back.

- [Narrator] Conversations That Matter is a not-for-profit program made possible thanks to the charitable support of the following and from viewers like you. Please visit conversationsthatmatter.tv, and help us to continue to produce this program.

- Can imagine that if we change our voting system from first-past-the-post

- Yes.

- to proportional representation, you might have more coalitions coming

- Yes.

- and requesting the ability to form a government. And so, then the rule really does take on a greater significance, even though it's entirely in keeping with what the mandate has always been.

- Yes, and that's certainly true, absolutely.

- So, what other responsibilities do you have?

- So, there's the formal constitutional role, and we've been talking about that, to a certain extent, but I also need to give royal assent to any bills that are passed in the legislature. So, it's also my responsibility to convene, to prorogue, or to dissolve the legislature. So, there's a number of activities that relate to the constitutional role. In addition, there's a ceremonial role, so I have the privilege of recognizing British Columbians really in all walks of life, who've made significant contributions to the province and bringing profile and attention to them. And then I also have the opportunity to identify certain themes that I would personally like to champion as part of my mandate, and as many lieutenant governors before me have done. So, it's certainly my intention, I have spent some time considering what those themes will be, and I'm prepared to go forward on that basis.

- Do you wanna share what some of those themes are?

- Yeah, I can certainly do that. So, I've landed on three. So, the first one is really consistent with my previous professional and community work, which is the whole frame around equality, inclusion, celebrating diversity, gender equality. So, that's right out of my previous work. The second one I think is extremely important, it's important to me personally, but it also builds on the legacy of the previous lieutenant governors, and that's the importance of Conversations That Matter is an Oh Boy Productions program. Please help us to continue to produce this program by making a donation at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv reconciliation with our indigenous peoples. So, Iona Campagnolo, Steven Point, and Judith Guichon all played a very important role and set an important example, in terms of reaching out to create those bridges that are necessary to achieve true reconciliation. So, I would like to build on that. And the third one relates to, I think the current global context, where I have become increasingly concerned about the fragility of democracy in the current context, about the erosion of trust and confidence in our public institutions, about the erosion of civility in public discourse, and the lack of appreciation, I think, for the importance of a free press, in terms of upholding the democratic conventions that we, I think, take for granted. So, I feel compelled to use my five years in office to bring profile to the importance of democracy and to encourage civil discourse, to encourage informed decision making based on agreed-upon facts and agreed-upon conventions of engagement. So, that's something I intend to put a fair bit of effort towards. It won't be easy, but I think, as well, it's important to try to focus on encouraging young people to become active in our democracy, to participate, to vote, frankly. I think that's the most important place to start.

- So, I agree with you, those are three very important issues, so

- Yeah.

- let's sorta go backwards a little, let's talk about

- Yeah, for sure.

- this, the fragility of democracy.

- Yeah.

- So, what is it that you, as lieutenant governor, can do to get to those young people because I agree with you, it has to come, be a generational thing. How do we encourage young people, to say you need to be involved, and you need to protect this right because if it goes away, you are really going to, you're gonna miss it, and you're gonna be sorry. How do you, as a lieutenant governor, be able to make a difference in that regard?

- So, I think there's a number of ways that we can begin to do that. I'm interested in possibly working on a democracy conference for young people. I've had some preliminary discussions with the outreach people at the BC legislature because they certainly engage in activities that are aligned with some of the thoughts that I have around that. I think it would be interesting to look at perhaps doing an essay, video, or art competition, where we might ask young people to reflect on and respond to some basic questions around what are the characteristics of a society that functions well. What are the characteristics of democracy that help us to make good decisions? So, this is something that's really at a preliminary level, but I think it's important. I also have the opportunity to meet directly with a lot of young people through visiting schools, and it's an important part of the message that I can deliver. I also do a lot of

Conversations That Matter is an Oh Boy Productions program. Please help us to continue to produce this program by making a donation at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv public speaking, like a ton of public speaking And so, even at its most simple level, incorporating these messages in my ongoing communication is, in itself, I think an important way to help bring profile.

- Well, as you are mentioning that, I'm thinking are there lieutenant governor awards that can be given out to young people to say we're gonna have this little video competition, or we're gonna have something else, and in recognition of what you've done, here is a lieutenant governor's award because I think that those things go a long way,

- Yes.

- and they become important moments in young people's lives.

- I absolutely agree. And so, if we, I mean, if we do a democracy conference or a competition like that, there will be awards that would be associated with it. We're also aligning with, there's an organization called the Trust for Sustainable Living, which is an international organization, and they're holding a big event out here in another year. And it is really all about helping young people to understand the conventions of debate and democracy. So, there's a number of initiatives that we can align with. There's also, I don't think I'm preempting anything by saying this, but there's been a long tradition of providing lieutenant governor's postsecondary awards, which have been awarded based on academic achievement, which, of course, is extremely important. But there are a lot of awards that are related to academic achievement. And so, I have suggested that we actually look at making those awards awards for citizenship, social justice, community engagement, so put a different spin on it that's consistent with some of the themes that I would personally like to champion. So, I think there's a lot of potential, and there's a lot of potential to work with organizations that are already engaged in this work, and where there's some alignment, and where, that it's an appropriate relationship.

- This is our second break. We'll be back in a moment.

- One of the other issues that you touched on is reconciliation with First Nations and an indigenous peoples.

- [Janet] Yes, yep.

- In your role, how can you help to facilitate that because it think that until we heal that wound, we do not have the ability to reach our full potential in this province, let alone nationally. How can you help us move in that direction? And I know it's a long process.

Conversations That Matter is an Oh Boy Productions program. Please help us to continue to produce this program by making a donation at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv

- Yes, absolutely. And I think the role is, to a large degree, about symbols and setting an example. And so, I think, again, incorporating in that narrative, in the various platforms that I have to communicate with British Columbians is a first step. We're also looking at doing a reconciliation award, which would be perhaps for individuals who have shown significant leadership, but also for organizations that are looking at how they can embed a reconciliation culture really in all platforms through their organizations, that I think there are some that have done this exceptionally well that can be models for others. We also hosted, just a month or so ago, an indigenous Back to School Picnic with the Friendship Centres, here on the grounds of Government House. I think something like 1200 indigenous, wonderful young students came and got backpacks and had a barbecue lunch, and so there are things like that. Also, I've had a history of working with Paul Lacerte and his Moose Hide Campaign, so being able to champion initiatives like that, that are about achieving gender equality, but also flow from this whole challenge we face when we look at the history of the missing and murdered indigenous women in our country. So, there's a lot of potential and, again, part of it is symbolic, but there is some room for us to do some work at a practical level, as well.

- [Stuart] And gender equality.

- Yes, yeah.

- Well, I'm happy to see that you are not the first woman who has held this position, and that we continue to be ensuring that there is appropriate representation of both genders and people from different cultural backgrounds that are filling this role. But beyond that, what else is it that you're able to do to help to move us towards a society where

- Yes.

- we look at one another as individuals rather than you're this, that, or the next thing?

- Yes, absolutely. And I think, again, it's speaking up in the platforms that I have the privilege to participate in. It's also championing work that is appropriate and effective. So, I have long- standing history, as you well know, with a number of organizations who've done really Trojan work in this respect and will continue to support them, will be a patron of those organizations. And again, so it's about bringing profile. But I think there are also opportunities, for example, to champion the success of business organizations that have done this successfully. As you know, I chaired the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. And during my term as board chair, a board of 36, we had 17 women and 19 men. And that's actually equal now. And that's a huge shift from when I first joined the board some six years prior to that. So, I think looking at organizations that have actually successfully made steps in the right direction and showing the success that flows from that can be quite powerful.

- Mm-hmm, and the position that you're in does carry with it, I wanna say clout, and really it,

Conversations That Matter is an Oh Boy Productions program. Please help us to continue to produce this program by making a donation at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv well, it is, isn't it?

- Yes, yeah.

- When you speak, now, from this position, you are speaking from a position of authority, one that reaches all the way to the top of the structure of government and the way that our country runs. So, when you're speaking, you're speaking with a voice that is magnified.

- Yes, I mean, it's extremely important for me to maintain my neutrality. I've always, I think you probably know, I've always worked really hard to build what I would consider to be cross-partisan support for foundational issues, issues that I think are both of economic and social significance, and I think I've been successful at that. And I think people see me as a truly neutral person who has enormous respect for people who take on the very difficult job of serving in public office. I think this role is a convening platform. I can convene dialogues, I can convene round tables. I need to, obviously, maintain my neutrality, in terms of any direct discussions about policy matters, but I can bring people together and encourage that cross- fertilization of ideas and thinking, and encourage people to reach out across the boundaries that divide people in society and the economy, and make a sincere effort to engage with others whose views are different, and I intend to do that.

- Third and final break. We'll be right back.

- And well, and we have to keep repeating that message, don't we?

- Yes, absolutely.

- The one-time delivery is not enough.

- No, and so, and I got five years. So, I think unless you're really prepared to engage with people whose views are different and make a sincere effort to listen to them, to listen to understand and not just to convince them to your way of thinking, unless you do that, you're only ever talking to yourself.

- Right.

- You know?

- So, just while we get into our last few minutes here, a few nuts and bolts about the role, does the premier come and consult with you on a regular basis, or is it only around the time of an Conversations That Matter is an Oh Boy Productions program. Please help us to continue to produce this program by making a donation at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv election?

- We don't have a formal schedule. I'm happy to meet with Premier Horgan at any time. We certainly have had some very good discussions, as I've had discussions with federal representatives, municipal representatives, who are working on a range of different issues. So, I will look forward to meeting with him, and I'm sure we will do so on a periodic basis.

- So, a couple times, you touched on the fact that it's a five-year term. Is it one term, or...

- It's one term, the convention is five years. So, I don't have any plans to screw up, so. Hopefully, I'll be here.

- Well, you don't need to be worrying about reelection or, well but, so how does the premier then go about nominating somebody for the position?

- I don't think that's how it happens. I should say the process is a bit mysterious because the lieutenant governor is appointed. Well, I'm a representative of the Queen, but the appointment is on the advice of the prime minister and the Privy Council.

- Oh, so it's not the premier,

- So, it's initiated there.

- it's, oh, OK.

- No. I would, I don't know, but I would imagine that a wide variety of people are consulted, possibly the premier, but I don't actually know that. So, how this happened for me was I got a telephone call from the prime minister's office, which was, came as big surprise, asking if they could do a security clearance check on me for a possible appointment as lieutenant governor. And that was the first I had heard of it, so.

- And do you report, then, to the prime minister

- I report--

- or to the governor general?

- I report to the Queen.

- [Stuart] To the Queen?

- To the Queen.

Conversations That Matter is an Oh Boy Productions program. Please help us to continue to produce this program by making a donation at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv - And so, do you have to go to Buckingham Palace to be...

- I am actually going to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen on October the 16th. So, but I report to the Queen.

- Well, and so, when you go meet her, will you then also bring a message of here's the state of affairs in the province of British Columbia?

- Absolutely, I think that's, well, I will, the conversation will be guided, I think, by the questions she chooses to ask me, but I will certainly be prepared to share with her both some of the wonderful things and some of the challenges we face in British Columbia.

- It's a pretty exciting role, isn't it?

- Absolutely, it's an absolute honor to be asked to do the role, and I'm really enjoying it.

- Well, isn't that fabulous? Well, thank you for sharing, or giving us a glimpse into a small part of your world in this really important role that you've demonstrated that it goes beyond a ceremonial role. Thank you very much.

- And Stew, it's always a pleasure to see you, thanks so much for inviting me in.

- Well, thank you, thank you. It's our pleasure, thank you.hank you very much for having me, thank you.

Conversations That Matter is an Oh Boy Productions program. Please help us to continue to produce this program by making a donation at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv