Topic: Michaelle Jean

Michaëlle Jean CC CMM COM CD FRCPSC(hon) (French pronunciation: ; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman. She is the current Governor General of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation.

Jean was a refugee from Haiti — coming to Canada in 1968 — and was raised in the town of Thetford Mines, Quebec. After receiving a number of university degrees, Jean worked as a journalist and broadcaster for Radio-Canada and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), as well as undertaking charity work, mostly in the field of assisting victims of domestic violence. In 2005, she was appointed as governor general by Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Paul Martin, to replace Adrienne Clarkson as vicereine. At the time, comments of hers recorded in some of the film works by her husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, were construed as supporting Quebec sovereignty and her holding of dual citizenship caused doubt about her loyalties. But Jean denied separatist leanings, renounced her citizenship of France, and eventually became a respected vicereine.

As governor general, Jean is entitled to be styled Her Excellency while in office, and The Right Honourable for the duration of her viceregal tenure and life beyond; given current practice, she will be sworn in to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada when her term as the Queen's representative ends, scheduled for October 1, 2010. It is planned that, after departing the viceregal post, Jean will serve as Special Envoy to Haiti for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.