Administrator of the Government of Canada
The administrator of the Government of Canada () is the title used by the individual performing the duties of Governor General of Canada – the federal viceregal representative – while the office is vacant or its incumbent is otherwise unable to perform his or her duties. The office is defined in the Letters Patent, 1947, which created the office of Governor General in its present-day role. Should it be necessary to fill the position, the chief justice of Canada may act as the administrator, followed by the puisne justices in order of seniority should the chief justice not be able to assume the role. Accordingly, the role is a temporary one meant to serve only during a vacancy in the governor general's office, and is not a title that is consistently held by the chief justice at all times. It is invoked under the terms of a dormant commission. The administrator of Canada represents the Crown in right of the federal government. The office of administrator may also exist in a provincial context, when a lieutenant governor is unable to perform their role representing the Crown in right of a province. Designation The provisions to select the administrator of Canada is outlined in Article VIII of the Letters Patent, 1947, which identifies that the chief justice of Canada assumes the role as administrator should the need arise. In the absence of the chief justice, the senior puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada is designated as the administrator of the government. Prior to the Letters Patent, 1947, the administrator of the government was directly appointed by the monarch. An administrator of the government is not required if a governor general is absent for less than 30 days, with the governor general empowered to designate a "deputy governor general" to act on their behalf. Richard Wagner is the most recent person to be designated as the administrator of the Government of Canada. The office is not automatically filled, as the designee must first take the oath of office, which then invokes the dormant commission. Role The administrator of the government is empowered to exercise all of the powers of the governor general as the viceregal representative of the Crown. These may include: giving royal assent to bills passed by the legislature; issuing Orders in Council and making Governor in Council (Administrator in Council) appointments; dissolving Parliament for a general election; summoning Parliament after a general election by way of a proclamation; choosing a prime minister to form government and seek the confidence of the House of Commons; opening each new session of Parliament by reading the Speech from the Throne; providing a recommendation for all spending measures initiated by the House of Commons; and appointing provincial lieutenant governors and various officers, including High Commissioners, Ambassadors and diplomats. Notable instances Sir Lyman Duff served as administrator on two occasions. The first was in 1931, while Duff was still a puisne justice, between the departure of the Marquess of Willingdon for England