Well, I think it has been some time since the Governor General in Canada has been called on to act politically in the way that she must now. And during that interval, public life has been transformed in Canada. There's a much greater culture of transparency and what some call a “culture of justification” of political actors offering their reasons to the public for greater transparency. So I think it's appropriate that the office of Governor General be updated in that direction.
That said, I would not support a proposal for the Governor General to provide written reasons, or reasons, or justification, or any explanation after making a decision. I think that has to be shrouded in mystery or what have you.The function of the Governor General, when receiving advice from the Prime Minister, is not the same function as the function of a judge hearing from two parties impartially and then rendering a decision. It's a different function.
I'm uncomfortable with the Governor General having to give reasons after the fact after a decision. However, I think that it can be very helpful for the Governor General to provide, as Governor General Hardie Boys did, some sorts of discussions in the abstract ahead of time, so that political actors can know where she stands on issues and can respond accordingly, either to communicate their disagreement or their agreement, as part of a process of all the political actors working together either to re-establish or to change a convention.