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The space medal incident, which has become infamous in Canada’s small circle of honours experts, may seem trivial beyond that community. Given that the entire essence of Payette’s job as governor general is ceremonial, her purpose to uphold protocol, to some observers such transgressions raise the question of why Payette accepted the job in the first place.

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It is not clear how thoroughly the government explained to Payette what being governor general would be like, and what the role would require from her. Two sources who have worked with many other appointees at the vice-regal level told the Post it is common for them to have been poorly briefed by political staff before they enter the job.

Payette also has the difficult task of succeeding David Johnston, who almost every source with whom the Post has spoken for this story has pointed out is an incredibly tough act to follow.

Photo by Andrew Milligan/Pool via AP

“He glided into it so naturally. People are benchmarking against perfect. No one is going to stand up as well,” a senior government source said. Indeed, according to public records Payette has participated in about two-thirds as many public events as Johnston did in his first year.

Several sources who spoke to the Post stressed that it’s not entirely fair to do a straight comparison from one governor general to another. Each brings different skills, priorities and personality to the role.

As remarkable and accomplished as Payette undoubtedly is, it is possible her particular skills, priorities and personality were always going to make her a difficult fit for the role. And if that continues to have an impact, accountability ultimately lies with the Prime Minister’s Office, which was responsible for identifying, vetting, preparing and appointing her in the first place.

“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.

Of course, it is still possible she grows into the role — and that the turbulence prompts changes in how she and her staff operate.

“My hope is that these have been growing pains, transitional pains,” said Finch. “My only hope is she was briefed properly, prior to accepting the position, as to these details and what your life will now entail. And that ultimately rests on the PMO, who drives the appointment process. There seems to be, potentially, a disconnect between what is expected of the role and what was sort of explained to her. We only hope that they have explained it properly.”

But it is also possible that Payette simply proves to be incompatible with the office.

“In the first six months, I was like, ‘I want her to succeed,’ ” said one long-time observer of the office. “She looks great on paper, her resume says she should be a great success at this, and be able to connect in a way in which other people have not been able to. But it’s been — it’s just the wrong personality for this job.”

— with files from John Ivison

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