Julie Payette says reports of Rideau Hall turbulence greatly exaggerated
OTTAWA — Governor General Julie Payette says she was surprised by media reports last fall saying she was at loggerheads with Rideau Hall staff and might even quit before the end of her term.
The former astronaut was reportedly having trouble adapting to her new role, her penchant for micro-management was creating dissatisfaction among her employees and she was reluctant to fulfil certain duties.
This media scrutiny, “didn’t correspond at all to reality — not at all,” Payette told The Canadian Press in a recent interview. She said it was the most difficult moment of her first year in office.
Though she denies the accuracy of the stories about her, there has been turnover in communications personnel at Rideau Hall. And the diagrams she has drawn up on whiteboards throughout the residence, including in her office, leave no doubt that she takes a hands-on approach to the job.