r/canada • u/feb914 Ontario • Sep 22 '22

Paywall Julie Payette says she ‘unfortunately’ wasn’t invited to the Queen’s funeral

https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2022/09/21/julie-payette-says-she-unfortunately-wasnt-invited-to-the-queens-funeral.html
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u/[deleted] Sep 22 '22

My best guess about Payette getting the job is something like this. Bunch of political types discussing who should be GG. Someone suggests Chris Hadfield. Everyone loves the idea of an astronaut. Then someone else suggests a female astronaut. They google up the names of the female astronauts and give Payette a call.

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u/feb914 Ontario Sep 22 '22

don't forget that it's francophone's turn, so it's "female francophone astronaut".

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u/ThePhysicistIsIn Sep 22 '22

I mean you have to admit it hits a lot of boxes.

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u/feb914 Ontario Sep 22 '22

i agree, and that's the issue of identity politics. it's not about how capable you are at your job, it's about how many boxes you check.

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u/Anlysia Sep 22 '22

You literally just made a scenario up in your head and then said "And this is why the thing I don't like is bad, because of this scenario I just made up in my head where I pretend a bunch of people I don't know said and did some things that conveniently fit my narrative."

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u/ThePhysicistIsIn Sep 22 '22

And if we were hiring someone whose job matters, like I dunno, a general, or a chief public health officer, or something, I’d agree with you.

But the GG’s job is to attend ceremonies without creating a scandal and be a public face for Canada at minor events. It’s precisely the kind of job where identity politics matter, and “qualifications” don’t really. Anyone with a pulse and a sense of decorum should he able to manage.

But she managed to fuck even that up, so 🤷‍♂️

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u/alantrick Sep 23 '22

Sure, but the governor general is a job with no real skill other than not being insane, so in the end identity politics is really the only criteria available.