Julie Payette

Trudeau speaks during a news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic outside his residence at Rideau Cottage on Jan. 26, 2021 (CP/Justin Tang)

Justin Trudeau applauds Justin Trudeau’s handling of the Rideau Hall mess

Paul Wells: The response to the GG problem is a familiar one for the Trudeau government—nothing is a big, urgent problem until it hits the nightly news

Payette and Trudeau wait during the throne speech in the Senate chamber in Ottawa on Sept. 23, 2020 (CP/Adrian Wyld)

The problem with modernizing (and the Governor General)

Paul Wells: This is not only an ill of the Trudeau Liberals, it’s a widespread ill of our age—ignoring the boring, hard-to-fix work in favour of the new

Payette is preceded by Di Lorenzo (at bottom) as she arrives to deliver the Speech from the Throne on Sept. 23, 2020 (CP/Justin Tang)

What happens when there’s no Governor General?

Philippe Lagassé, an expert on the Westminster system, talks about Julie Payette’s resignation, the uncomfortable role of the Chief Justice, and what happens next

(Photo illustration by Sarah Palmer and Drew Maynard)

Five things that likely won’t happen in 2021

The past year has proven that you never know what’s coming. But these things, you can probably rule out…

Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, arrives prior to the Throne Speech on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. Trudeau says his government will launch a campaign to create 1 million jobs in Canada, returning employment to pre-pandemic levels. Photographer: Justin Tang/Canadian Press/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Notes on the Throne Speech, and a reminder that Julie Payette is governor general

Paul Wells: The speech was further from ‘bold solutions’ and closer to ‘old ways of thinking’. Then the PM took to the TV to deliver another message.

Gov. Gen. Julie Payette bumps elbows with Chief Justice Richard Wagner as she arrives for the throne speech in the Senate chamber in Ottawa, Ontario, Wednesday, Sept.23, 2020. (Justin Tang/CP)

The Throne speech where everything and nothing was normal

Nick Taylor-Vaisey: There was elbow bumping, masks and only a handful of MPs. But the drama, commotion and high stakes were all front and centre.

Gov.Gen. Julie Payette, middle, looks on with Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the Usher of the Black Rod Greg Peters leaves to summon the House of Commons to come listen to the throne speech in the Senate chamber in Ottawa on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Governor General Julie Payette’s 2020 Throne Speech: Full transcript

The Governor General of Canada formally opens the new session of Parliament as a global pandemic rages on

Governor General Julie Payette delivers the Throne Speech in the Senate chamber, Thursday December 5, 2019 in Ottawa. The COVID-19 pandemic has put the kibosh on the annual Canada Day celebration of recipients of the country's second highest award. Governor General Julie Payette would normally announce the list of Order of Canada nominees on July 1. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Throne Speech 2020: Governor General lays out Trudeau Liberals’ mandate – Full replay

Watch Julie Payette, Canada’s Governor General, deliver the Speech from the Throne and formally open the next session of Parliament

Rideau Hall’s harassment levels are still among the worst in the public service

Last year, an employee survey painted a gloomy picture of working at Rideau Hall. The latest survey suggests improvement—but a long way to go.

A disturbance in the Throne Speech continuum

For comment on the Governor General’s contribution to the Speech from the Throne, we turn to a professor of philosophy of physics

Throne speech: Governor General outlines Trudeau’s second mandate – Live video

Watch live as the Queen’s representative Julie Payette delivers the speech from the throne, which will lay out the priorities for the Liberal government

Unhappy times at Rideau Hall

Last year’s survey of public servants painted a troubling picture of working life in Julie Payette’s Rideau Hall. What’s changed?