Diplomacy not among Payette’s many gifts By: Editorial Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Thursday, Jul. 23, 2020

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/07/2020 (1620 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg holds high expectations for the role of Governor General, thanks in large part to its relationship to Michaëlle Jean. Ms. Jean, who held the office from 2005 to 2010, took a particular interest in Winnipeg’s North Point Douglas neighbourhood, visiting several times and holding up the area in national speeches as an example of how residents can turn around their crime-ridden communities.

Winnipeg returned her respect, naming a park in Point Douglas after her.

Julie Payette is no Michaëlle Jean.

The current Governor General’s relationship with this city got off to a slow start. Traditionally, governors general visit all the provinces and territories in their first year in office, but it took Ms. Payette 13 months to visit Manitoba on Nov. 26, 2018 — making this the last province she visited. Where Ms. Jean made Winnipeg feel special, Ms. Payette made the city feel more like an afterthought.

Two years into her four-year term, Ms. Payette has been criticized in recent media reports by a bevy of former staff, who say she routinely yells and has tantrums that belittle and humiliate those in her employ. More than a dozen employees have left her office, many of them complaining anonymously that it is because of verbal harassment by Ms. Payette.

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When so many employees complain about a boss, it’s a serious matter. But context is crucial — unlike many other political officials and titans of industry whose toxic behaviour has been exposed, Ms. Payette is not accused of racist or sexual harassment, of claiming fake expenses, of lying, or of using her office to secure financial benefits for her family (we’re looking at you, Justin Trudeau).

The bulk of staff complaints about Ms. Payette deal with her undiplomatic way of expressing concerns that the work of her staff is of unacceptably low quality, meaning she has to do it herself.

Perhaps people shouldn’t be surprised Ms. Payette is a Type A personality, driven to succeed. She’s renowned as an astronaut, but also has credentials as a pilot, a computer engineer and an academic. And in her spare time, she’s a skilled musician who sings with professional choirs.

If Ms. Payette has the bearing of someone who thinks she’s the smartest person in the room, maybe it’s because she often is.

That said, there’s being smart, and there’s being wise enough to know that employees don’t work well when the boss berates them in front of colleagues. People work at their highest levels when they’re treated with respectful support, and criticism about their work is offered with tact, in private.

Perhaps she herself is overdue for tactful criticism, in private, from the prime minister. Though the Governor General reports directly to the person she represents — Queen Elizabeth II — “the prime minister is responsible and accountable for all acts of the Governor General and everything that happens at Rideau Hall,” according to parliamentary scholar Philippe Lagassé.

Perhaps Mr. Trudeau could firmly suggest the final two years of Ms. Payette’s term be conducted with more grace and less grit.

It’s increasingly clear that Ms. Payette’s many gifts don’t include diplomacy, which would seem an essential attribute for the ceremonial role of the Queen’s representative in Canada. It might also help her understand the need to create a safe and supportive workplace.

But judging by her resumé and many areas of expertise, she is a quick study. It would serve her well to do some research on, and emulate, the more courteous demeanour of her predecessors, including David Johnston, Adrienne Clarkson and Michaëlle Jean.