Rideau Hall is the Fortress of Solitude

Ran into an intriguing bit of bureaucratic overkill, this week.
You probably know that David Johnston, President of the University of Waterloo, has been named the next Governor General of Canada. That's pretty good news for our area. For some reason, Waterloo Region has been a hotbed of celebrity this summer -- Stephen Hawking is here, the Prime Minister has popped in, the Queen showed up to pick up her new Blackberry at the source.
And then we learned that Johnston is the new GG. Pretty cool, and perhaps this strikes a blow for all of us old, grey-haired guys who are now the forgotten minority. Grey power! Grey power! What was I saying?......
Joking aside, I wanted to interview Johnston for Exchange magazine, the business magazine which I edit.
Turns out, thanks to relentless bureaucratic power games, this cannot be done.
I have interviewed Johnston in the past, on several occasions. He's a personable guy, articulate, extremely intelligent, and very visionary. He's a great person to talk to, and his comments always make for good articles.
He's also been surprisingly accessible for such a busy man. I've met him in his office, but I have also received a call from him as he travelled somewhere, but chose to respond to my message. I've been impressed.
That side of David Johnston was stifled in about three and a half seconds, the moment it became public knowledge that he will be the GG.
When I called the university media relations people, I encountered a fair level of genuine frustration on their part. They're not happy. Here's the deal ­-- they have always been the ones who set up interviews with their President. Johnston is their President... and the university is in the middle of a huge fundraising drive. However, the moment he because the Governor General-designate, some Ottawa poohbahs took over. The UW folks were told all requests had to come to the people at Heritage Canada. So, the UW-ites reluctantly referred us on to Ottawa.
Here's what happens.
Me: "I'd like to interview David Johnston."
Them: "Can we get all the information about you and your publication?"
Me: "Sure." And I give it to them.
Them: "We will get back to you in a day or two."
Them (a day or two later): "Interviews with Dr. Johnston are not being scheduled
at this time."
I would be personally paranoid, except I know this is happening to every media outlet trying to talk to the guy.
In the past, there has been some evidence that some people who became Governor General also became... how shall we say this... somewhat snobbish. Elitist. Distant. Maybe that shouldn't come as a big surprise, because from the very second David Johnston was announced as the incoming GG, a cloak of secrecy and elitism ­-- not of his own making, in any way ­ has closed around him.
Personally, I think this is ridiculous.
David Johnston is known by his friends and colleagues to be a personable, friendly, open person. These should be ideal qualifications to be the Governor General, because the GG is most of all a person who leads by example, not by authority.
Let's hope that our new GG's strength of character is sufficient to overcome the fortress of solitude that the bureaucrats are already trying to build around him.
And David... if by some chance you happen to read this, give me a call. There's
nobody here to prevent it.