I'm concerned about the Chief Justice of Canada being asked to serve as Administrator in a minority Parliament. Note: I speak here strictly as a private citizen and not on behalf of my former employer (which I left nearly 2.5 years ago).

The GG has three jobs: (1) visit people; (2) sign things; (3) manage constitutional crises in minority govt situations. Job 1 is a non-issue b/c pandemic. Job 2 is easy. Job 3 is a major issue and absolutely not something that should be imposed upon the Chief Justice of Canada.

The status quo–CJ at risk of being asked to do Job 3–is intolerable. Minority govts fall. And there's election talk. We can't leave the CJ in place as Administrator and hope for the best. Even if the risk of crisis is small, its cost for the SCC as an institution would be high.

It's one thing to ask a Supreme Court judge to assent to a bill. Not a big deal. I'm not even bothered that the same judge might one day rule it unconstitutional. But for the PM to ask the CJ for an election? That's way too close to politics, esp if b/c of a non-confidence vote.

Ottawa is full of capable, reliable, retired public servants who could do Job 3. Appoint one of them as GG now. Then the govt can take the time it needs to find the GG it really wants without institutional risk to the CJ and SCC.