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“No one in the system federally will listen when I’ve said this is actually a serious problem and the clerk or the prime minister needs to sit down with her,” said one source in the vice-regal community.

Trudeau is responsible for all acts of the Crown, Carleton University’s Lagassé said, and is accountable for everything she does. “Ultimately it comes down to, does the prime minister defend it? If he does, then that’s his call. If the prime minister is not satisfied with how a governor general is performing their duties, then the prime minister has a responsibility to bring (it) up to the Queen.”

“While the governor general is non-partisan and apolitical, the prime minister has an excellent working relationship with Ms. Payette and is proud of the work she has been doing to represent Canada here and abroad since she took office,” said Chantal Gagnon, spokeswoman for the PMO. “As the PM said when she was appointed, her achievements are a testament to her hard work, discipline, and passion, and her work has been recognized around the world. For reasons of confidentiality, we do not comment on the specifics of individual candidates’ applications.”

Meanwhile, chatter in official Ottawa about the conflict between Payette’s approach and the demands of the office has escalated in recent months, spilling into public view.

In August the Ottawa Citizen raised questions about why Payette is still living at Rideau Gate instead of inside Rideau Hall itself, despite the renovations to the living quarters in the main building that at first required her to live in the auxiliary official residence being mostly complete. The Globe and Mail reported last week that Payette has ruffled the feathers of her security detail, which feels she has put her own safety at risk by keeping them ill-informed of her whereabouts — a story the Post has also confirmed with two security sources. (In a statement to the Post, Létourneau said “the Governor General’s protective services are assessed continually and adapted, depending on the threat level and the environment. Her Excellency has full confidence in the RCMP competency and professionalism, and the relationship with her close protection team is excellent.”) And in recent days the Winnipeg Free Press reported that Payette won’t be visiting Manitoba before the anniversary of her installation, breaking with the tradition that Governors General make it to every province during their first year.