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Ottawa Citizen

MacDonald: The ideal setting for the prime minister's new home

Article content In the long sorry tale of finding a home for our prime minister, many ideas have surfaced, some more worthy of consideration than others. Andrew MacDougall's recent suggestion in the Ottawa Citizen that Rideau Hall would be just right for the job has sparked a debate we should snuff out here and now. Article content It is perhaps typical of Canada that neither the representative of our head of state (the Governor General), nor our head of government (the prime minister), has a residence purpose-built to their roles. But there is nothing particularly unusual or wrong about that. Like both Rideau Hall and 24 Sussex Drive, 10 Downing Street was built as a private residence. Nor is it likely that it's what anyone would choose if starting from scratch. Article content Article content Article content Indeed, even Buckingham Palace started out life as a private residence, and the familiar façade we see today was only one of the later, many additions and improvements made over the course of the last two centuries. Article content The same holds true for Rideau Hall, which was built originally as a private residence for Thomas McKay, but which has served as the vice-regal residence for every single Governor General of Canada since Confederation. Few at first would have thought it a suitable residence for the sovereign's representative but over the intervening decades it has seen additions and improvements with a view to making it just that, an appropriate venue for affairs of state, such as are performed by the Governor General. Article content The prime minister, on the other hand, has no need for a similar venue. Nor does he need the kind of office space available at Rideau Hall for the Governor General's staff and other vice-regal functionaries. He already has significantly more office space in the Privy Council Office building and in the Parliament Buildings. Article content Article content Article content What the prime minister does need, though, is a home, one that is safe and secure. And appropriate for the role, for while the prime minister does not preside over events such as Order of Canada investitures requiring venues like the ballroom at Rideau Hall, he should be able to host his international peers in a style of which Canadians can be proud. I've been to a reception at 24 Sussex. It doesn't fit the bill. Article content And while I'm no expert, I can well believe it wouldn't be anyone's first choice from a security perspective. But then would Rideau Hall be any better? I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet given how long the prime minister has been living at Rideau Cottage, but does anyone think the grounds of Rideau Hall would remain open to the public if the prime minister moved in for good? (And does anyone remember the outcry the last time the grounds were closed to the public for 'security reasons?')