Harper takes a salute

There seems to be something of an uproar over the Prime Minister taking a salute on Parliament Hill this past Canada Day:

With this year’s Canada Day, it happened before the cameras were on, but Peter Mansbridge was sure to report on it – that upon his arrival on the Hill, Harper stood on the platform before the honour guard and was saluted. This is something that is generally reserved for the Governor General, because she is the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces – not the Prime Minister.

But this has been happening at Remembrance Day celebrations for a few years now. Whereas it should be Her Excellency on the platform and the Prime Minister beside, Harper has made a point of standing on it with her, and in what is probably as much of an indictment, she’s allowed him to, in defiance of protocol.

Of course, Prime Ministers are entitled to a salute...

The current Canadian practice is to be found in the Canadian Forces Administration Orders (CFAO 61-8, mod 8/84).

Honours and salutes are accorded to the following dignitaries:

• Heads of state;


• The Queen's representatives in Canada


• Members of reigning royal families


• Heads of governments


• Ambassadors and high commissioners accredited to Canada; and


• Ministers of National Defence.

...

The Prime Minister and the Minister of National Defence: a 19 rounds gun salute is fired for the Prime Minister and 17 for the Minister of National Defence when visiting a saluting station (but not more than once a year); full honours are given on occasions when the mounting of a guard of honour is warranted;

...

• a 100 person guard is mounted for heads of state, The Queen's representatives in Canada, governors general of Commonwealth countries, members of reigning royal families;


• a 50 person guard is mounted for heads of Government (including the Vice President of the United States), ministers of National Defence, heads of Mission accredited to Canada;

...

The initial salute varies according to the dignitaries:

1. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh : "God Save The Queen" (in full);


2. Other members of the Royal Family: the first six bars of "God Save The Queen";


3. The Governor General and the Lieutenant Governors: the Vice Regal Salute (composed by the first six bars of "God Save The Queen" immediately followed by the first four and last four bars of "O Canada");


4. The Prime Minister and the Minister of National Defence of Canada: the national anthem (in full);


5. Foreign heads of state, foreign heads of Government, members of foreign royal families, foreign ministers of National Defence, heads of Mission accredited to Canada: the national anthem of the country of origin.

...just not the same salute to which Governor Generals are entitled.

So that's the question: did the PM take a salute to which he wasn't entitled? I don't know for sure. But it looked to me like there were more than fifty soldiers in that honour guard.

If the PM is abrogating this longstanding Commonwealth military tradition, somebody within the chain of command should have the guts to tell him to stop. Ideally that would be the Governor General herself. But if she isn't willing to step up, the CDS should, with the same tone that an RSM would take with his or her CO - respectful, but not completely deferential.

This sort of symbology matters, especially in a country where so much of our political system rests upon precedent and tradition.

Thanks to Dawg for bringing it to my attention.