GG won’t be a politician or the Chief Justice

Stuff has a short-list of what they say are front-runners to be the next Governor-General. It is a silly short-list with only one out of five being likely. They claim the front-runners are:

Starting off with our more serious picks, Dame Jenny Shipley ticks all the right boxes. She’s a former prime minister which would be a point of difference to previous appointments. 

And in the same vein, Jim Bolger would be a contender, being the country’s two-term leader in the 90s.

Fresh off her spy agency review, we have Dame Patsy Reddy: a lawyer, chief Crown negotiator for Treaty settlements, and state review expert.

Former deputy Prime Minister Sir Don McKinnon was speculated to be in the running last time, could this be his chance?

And because there seems to be a historical legal appetite, Chief Justice Sian Elias may be able to put away her wooden gavel.

Stuff seems to be going on name recognition, rather than any idea of the role of Governor-General.

Former Prime Ministers are very bad choices to be the non partisan effective Head of State.  It will not be Shipley or Bolger. Plus Bolger is 81 years old.

McKinnon would be an excellent choice for Governor-General based on his work as Commonwealth Secretary-General etc. However he was a National Party Deputy PM, and it is a bad look to appoint a former politician.

The thought that Sian Elias would give up the incredibly powerful job of Chief Justice to be Governor-General is fanciful.

Dame Patsy Reddy is indeed possible – the only one on the list that makes sense.

UPDATE: John Key has explicitly said it won’t be a former politician.

UPDATE 2: The Herald says it will be Dame Patsy Reddy.