Governor General Julie Payette has handed in her resignation.
Payette and her secretary, Assunta Di Lorenzo, are both resigning after an outside workplace review of Rideau Hall found that the pair presided over what was described as a toxic work environment”.
An independent consulting firm was hired by the Prime Minister’s Office last year to review reports that Payette was responsible for workplace harassment and creating a toxic culture at Rideau Hall.
Payette has since released a statement apologizing for the tensions, saying that everyone has “a right to a healthy and safe work environment”, but she does not address the allegations directly.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Chief Justice of Canada Richard Wagner will serve as Governor General on an interim basis.
To read Julie Payette’s full statement, please click here.
The Prime Minister has also released a statement on the resignation. To read it, please click here.
Everyone has a right to a healthy and safe work environment. Tensions have arisen at Rideau Hall over the past few months and for that, I am sorry. Full statement: https://t.co/4PgUs1h8Rq
— Governor General of Canada (@GGCanada) January 21, 2021
Please read my statement on the resignation of the Governor General: https://t.co/7fkf82SeI0
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 21, 2021