Image Credit: The Canadian Press

By Amanda Connolly / Global News

GOVERNOR GENERAL

Review of Gov. Gen. Julie Payette’s treatment of staff paints ‘scathing’ picture: sources

Jan 21, 2021 | 12:01 PM

OTTAWA — The high-profile review into allegations of a “toxic” workplace at Rideau Hall is now complete.

And sources tell Global News that results offer what they called a “scathing” portrait of Gov. Gen. Julie Payette.

Global News can confirm the report first broken by The Globe and Mail on Thursday morning that the independent review of workplace abuse allegations against Payette paints a damning picture of the Queen’s representative.

Sources tell Global News the results offer a stark choice to Payette: either step down or face removal.

The Privy Council Office hired Quintet Consulting Corporation in the fall to conduct the review.

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It came after a series of allegations made against Payette by current and former staffers to several media organizations. CBC News first reported accounts by employees at Rideau Hall that Payette had yelled at and publicly humiliated staff members.

Individuals who subsequently spoke with Global News expressed similar experiences.

“Right from the beginning, I was appalled at what was going on,” one former employee said.

“At first, I was just like, ‘OK, I have to give myself time to figure this out,’ or ‘Maybe things are really busy right now and they’re tense, I don’t know,’” the individual continued.

“The atmosphere, the vibe, the stress, the constant barrage, it was just … it was unbearable.”

The individual asked to remain anonymous out of fears coming forward could damage their career prospects.

Those allegations added Payette and her secretary, Assunta Di Lorenzo, would “gang up” on staff, calling them “lazy” and belittling their work.

Employees left Di Lorenzo’s office in tears at least once a week, one source said.

Payette has denied the allegations.

Payette, a former astronaut, was appointed in 2017 in a process that has repeatedly faced scrutiny over whether she was appropriately vetted before being named to the prestigious post.

Governors general are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister, and serve as the monarch’s representative and head of the Canadian state — a position above head of government, which is the prime minister.

Because of that, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cannot technically fire her on his own the way he might a senior political staffer or advisor.

Instead, he would need to take the highly unusual step of speaking with the Queen directly and asking her to dismiss Payette if she refuses to step down from the position.

One senior Liberal source who spoke to Global News said there has been significant tension between Payette and Trudeau since the review began in the fall, with Payette giving the impression she was resentful at a perceived lack of public support from the prime minister.

Trudeau called Payette an “excellent” governor general in September.

“We have an excellent governor general right now and I think on top of the COVID crisis, nobody is looking at any constitutional crises,” Trudeau said at the time.

“We have put in place a process to review some of the working conditions at Rideau Hall but that’s not something we’re contemplating right now going further than that.”

The senior Liberal source said the government would prefer Payette make the decision to resign rather than forcing a conversation with the Queen in order to seek her termination.

With files from Global’s Mercedes Stephenson and David Akin.