Jeremy Cannon

The Right Honourable Sir Jeremy Cannon, GCRI, CMG, MP

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Term:	2 November 1989–30 August 1994 20 August 2004–15 January 2006 11 February 2006–18 November 2006
Predecessor:	John Goodwin Paul Kelso Erik Barnes
Successor:	Jacob Miller Erik Barnes Marcus Smallegan
Leader of the Green Party
Term:	13 July 2007–12 May 2009
Predecessor:	Steven Lyall
Successor:	End of office
Party:	Liberal (1982–2007) Green (2007–2009) Liberal (2009–)
Born:	10 March 1959: Haphonia, Ibagli

The Right Honourable Sir Jeremy Cannon, GCRI, CMG, MP (born 10 March 1959) was the leader of the Green Party from 2007 until its merger with the Liberal Party in May 2009. From January to October 2006 he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of Roger Pollack.

Early Life

Cannon was born on 10 March 1959 to Jeffrey Cannon and Rebecca Gore in Loygre. He attended a local state school and Thistledowne University. Cannon always reflected favorably on his upbringing and childhood: "I was brought up in a warm and caring house devoid of any real rules." He later credited his family's hands-off approach toward his adolescence as "what allowed me become the person I am today."

Entry into politics

In 1981, Cannon stood for the House of Commons as a member of the Liberal Party in the district of Haphonia-St. Edwards, narrowly losing to Conservative Harold Stuart. Stuart died later that year, and Cannon ran in the ensuing by-election in early 1982, winning with a narrow margin over the Conservative candidate. He worked feverishly and became known as easily one of the most liberal members of the House. He constantly had verbal altercations with well-known and respected Conservative leaders and became very well known within the party, keeping his seat in the 1985 General Election. In 1987, he was selected by opposition leader Bradley Hunter to be the party's critic for foreign affairs. After the Liberal Party entered government following the 1989 General Election, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Hunter Government

While Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cannon was criticized for overseeing several state visits by Governor-General Sir Henry LeVeque to Western Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe. The trips were seen as an unnecessary extravagance, especially due to the gift of the enameled gilt insignia of a Knight or Dame Grand Commander of the Royal Ibaglian Order to each head of state visited.

Ibaglian foreign missions were opened at a record rate during the Hunter government. Embassies were opened in Brazil, France, Kuwait, Nigeria, and Sweden. A High Commission was opened in South Africa.

Foreign service

After the defeat of the Hunter government in 1994, Cannon was appointed Ambassador to France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland (resident in France) by Prime Minister John Goodwin. He was also appointed Knight Grand Companion of the Royal Ibaglian Order in Bradley Hunter's resignation honours list. In 2002 he was appointed High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ambassador to Ireland (resident in Ireland).

Palterma

In 2003, Cannon was appointed Governor of Palterma by the British government in consultation with the Ibaglian government. He would oversee the transfer of the small island colony to Ibaglian control. He resigned the office in late 2004 to run for a seat in the House of Commons. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George on the advice of the British government and a Knight Grand Companion of the Royal Ibaglian Order in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Return To The Liberal Party

In 2004, Cannon stood for election in the district of Chesterford as a member of the Liberal Party. He was again appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in the new McNeese government. After the death of McNeese in 2005, he declined to run for the leadership of the party.

He used his popularity within the party and his growing popularity with the younger liberals to rise to a very respected member of the party. After the election in 2006 he once again became the Minister of Foreign Affairs, this time in the government of Roger Pollack. He was met with mixed reviews during his 9 month tenure as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Critics leveled that he was not as hands-on as his predecessors and seemed to do "basically nothing" in the words of an anonymous conservative. Supporters note that Ibagli seemed to become better known around the world, saying Cannon, "represented Ibagli with much grace and style."

Green Party

On July 1st 2007, he announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Green Party. He was elected in the first round of balloting on July 13th. drove to the Green Party headquarters to accept the leadership position of the party. He had intended on doing so, though he stated: "I was pretty conflicted about leaving, some members of the party leadership contacted me about it last month and I declined. I called back a couple days later and accepted. I want to lead a party into the future. What the Conservatives do to this country is absolutely sad. I'm looking to give Ibaglians a third possibility."

Cannon stopped short of saying he would mend fences with Conservative opponents he has gained over the years, stating: "I'm not here to make friends."

He led the Green party into a merger with the Liberal Party in May 2009.

Political Beliefs

• Very Liberal with some individualist beliefs.
• Supports same-sex marriage.
• Supports the right for any female to have an abortion.
• Pacifist.
• Believes in a very well-defined and enforced separation of church and state.
• Supports a strong movement toward funding medical research.
• An environmentalist, works consistently towards goals that benefit the environment.
• Against government censorship in any form and believes parents should be more responsible in that regard.

Personal

Cannon has joined numerous groups in both Ibagli and Palterma that are pro-human rights and against capitalism, violence, and homophobia. Cannon is a vegetarian, atheist, and is openly homosexual. Cannon resides in Haphonia. He spends his time listening to music (notably punk rock, of which he is still an avid fan), enjoying the outdoors, and reading. His favorite vacation spot is France, he visits every year. Cannon is a huge fan of Paris, calling it "the greatest city in the world."

Controversy

Always out-spoken and rarely withdrawn, Cannon has been caught up in numerous controversies.

Upon returning to politics in 2006, Cannon was caught in a scandal due to comments about organized religion, saying in an interwiew: "I think [religion is] mass delusion. It's ignorant. It follows no logic. Yet, people believe it. It's sad to me that people some people never even question it. People should question everything." Some members of public were outraged, but he won his election to Parliament. Cannon refused to apologize, but did say he was strictly expressing his beliefs and not trying to condemn all religious and spiritual beliefs.

While in Parliament, Cannon clashed with numerous other members of all the major parties. Famously, he called conservative leaders "completely ignorant and blind to the publics needs and wants."

It is generally believed that the "higher-up" Cannon had become "slightly displeased" with in the Liberal Party was actually friend and Liberal Party leader Roger Pollack. Ibaglian press members had noticed a distinct change in attitude from either person towards the other beginning in mid-July 2006. While not much is known, the two seemed to have conflicting views on world affairs, despite being typically very same-minded in beliefs. The controversy grew to a boil when Cannon refused to speak with Pollack in a meeting and left, on the evening before his biggest trip, a tour of North America. Cannon reportedly had no contact with Pollack at all during the trip and instead "talked directly to the secretaries and avoided Pollack." Upon his return, the two seemed to mend fences but seemed to have an icy political relationship. In October, Cannon thanked many members of his party but left out Pollack and all but Péricles Maranhão Neto from his other cabinet members, a group he was known to have numerous conflicts with. He reportedly has not spoken to Pollack since he left the Liberal Party, but recently, expressed interest in working with the party.

Honours

• Royal Ibaglian Order - Knight Grand Companion (2004) (Knight Companion in 1994)
• The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George - Companion (2004)
• Lord of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council (2007)
• Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
• Semicentennial Medal (2005)

Shorthand Titles

• Jeremy Cannon (1959–1982)
• Jeremy Cannon, MP (1982–1989)
• The Honourable Jeremy Cannon, MP (1989–1994)
• The Honourable Sir Jeremy Cannon, KCRI, MP (1994)
• His Excellency the Honourable Sir Jeremy Cannon, KCRI (1994–2004)
• His Excellency the Honourable Sir Jeremy Cannon, GCRI, CMG (2004)
• The Honourable Sir Jeremy Cannon, GCRI, CMG (2004)
• The Honourable Sir Jeremy Cannon, GCRI, CMG, MP (2004–2006)
• The Right Honourable Sir Jeremy Cannon, GCRI, CMG, MP (2006–)

8th Ministry - Government of Bradley Hunter
Predecessor	Office	Successor
John Goodwin	Minister of Foreign Affairs 1989–1994	Jacob Miller
10th Ministry - Government of Vincent McNeese
Predecessor	Office	Successor
Paul Kelso	Minister of Foreign Affairs 2004–2005	Continued into 11th Ministry
11th Ministry - Government of Anthony Kinder
Predecessor	Office	Successor
Continued from 10th Ministry	Minister of Foreign Affairs 2005–2006	Erik Barnes
13th Ministry - Government of Roger Pollack
Predecessor	Office	Successor
Erik Barnes	Minister of Foreign Affairs 2006	Marcus Smallegan
House of Commons
Predecessor	District	Successor
Diane Warman	Chesterford 2004–present	Celia Caldwell