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Governor General Julie Payette denies reports that she鈥檚 unhappy on the job and acknowledged some 鈥渕issteps" during her first year.

Payette sat down with CTV National News Chief Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme at Rideau Hall to discuss her time adjusting to the role. Payette acknowledged a series of unflattering reports that suggested she has bristled at some of her formal responsibilities, including signing last-minute bills and hosting events.

Despite the seemingly turbulent year, Payette called herself an 鈥渙ptimist鈥� and said she is focused on the future.

Here鈥檚 a full transcript of that conversation.

Lisa LaFlamme: I want to start with the one year anniversary and I want to get a sense of how your expectations of the role, compare to the reality of the role?

Julie Payette: 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e started in a new positon like this one, you think you come in prepared. But the truth is, is that when you start, when you鈥檙e announced, the moment you鈥檙e announced as the Governor General you become, you become it right away.

鈥淪o you learn on the job and that鈥檚 very different from my previous job. When I became an astronaut, I was an engineer. I was coding for speech recognition applications, and I became an astronaut and then ended up in Houston. We arrived there and then we go through procedures, they tell us how to work this, and then then we trained for two years before we become a certified astronaut.

鈥淎nd Governor General, you arrive and it starts right off the starting block with no instruction manual.鈥�

Your previous life, there were manuals, it was about trial and errors. There were test runs. Now there is no manual. So does the job change to fit you, or do you have to change to fit this job?

鈥淚t鈥檚 a work in progress with any job. There鈥檚 always an adaptation and a transition. This job has responsibilities that are essential to the running of our democracy and that are not negotiable. So for this, I do exactly, I don鈥檛 make policies, the government makes policies, so that鈥檚 the way I do it.

鈥淭here鈥檚 another part the job which is more the Governor General that puts this flavour on to it and being the first Governor General with a background in science and in technology in particular, that鈥檚 the little flavour I鈥檓 trying to put in.鈥�

There鈥檚 so many areas for us to cover but let鈥檚 first start with the constitutional role. The challenge, if I can take you back to the month of June, there are reports that on the marijuana legislation that you pushed back, that you delayed the signing of that legislation, what happened?

鈥淲e had a date to sign the legislation or Royal Assent. At the last minute, I was asked to move the date, we did and we signed it. So I鈥檓 not so sure, we鈥檙e very, very rigorous on this here at Rideau Hall to ensure that every single step of the constitutional role never delays the good functioning of the government and that鈥檚 what we鈥檝e done. And I鈥檓 very proud of that because I don鈥檛 do this alone.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of back and forth, scheduling is complicated, but we don鈥檛 miss a beat, and we don鈥檛 miss a deadline.鈥�

Sources inside the government suggest there鈥檚 this underlying tension and that鈥檚 what I want to understand, between you and your new role and the government.

鈥淲e are learning with them how to do this. At first, because I don鈥檛 know, then I ask how it works. I would like to understand what I鈥檓 doing. Certainly a year later, I do know what this is about and this is really important. One of the things that really surprised me when I came was how important this institution is for Canada. For the governance of Canada and how also this institution can really bring interest and showcase people.

鈥淪o that鈥檚 why when we did our strategic thinking with our group here in the past year, we came up with really four words that represent us and it鈥�: honor, represent, showcase and serve. The service is to the government.鈥�

So, on the showcase word, I mean I鈥檓 sure you鈥檝e been reading all of the same things I鈥檝e been reading. There seems to be headline after headline that, we鈥檒l stick with the one concerning showcase, is that your workload is less than your predecessors. What do you make of that?

鈥淚t鈥檚 not the reality that鈥檚 completely different from the reality. I think because we were so busy preparing our new tool this morning, we finally put online our new website and we are very proud of this. We have been working on this for months, the team. We鈥檙e a small team here at Rideau Hall.

鈥淲e鈥檙e so proud of it because it really has the up to date information. We did not perhaps communicate as well but we鈥檝e been all over Canada. From coast to coast to coast. We have met thousands of Canadians. It鈥檚 the privilege of this job, unbelievable.鈥�

What about those charities though that say they鈥檝e been waiting for a year to get an answer from you and they feel like they鈥檙e in the dark as to whether the Governor General who traditionally would be part of those, the patrons of these charities hasn鈥檛 heard back.

鈥淲e are in touch with our partners and we have received a lot of requests. We have received a lot of requests and invitations and messages. I so wish, I so wish I could say yes to everything. It just is impossible.

鈥淲e had so many requests that we decided to do it as well as we could and we sat down and we said how can we be as inclusive as possible? As pertinent and dynamic, and how can we partner with more organizations? We can鈥檛 be everywhere but what we can do though, even If we say for example we decline a request for a presence somewhere we say we are open for business and this is really important for us.鈥�

What about the honors that bear the name of your office. Like the Governor Generals Award for History or [Medals in] Architecture, and you just recently said that you won鈥檛 be at that event, the History Awards. There鈥檚 a lot of people who just don鈥檛 understand that. So help me understand.

鈥淲e are working the schedule with the partners all the time. There are times when I鈥檓 not in the country because at the request of the government, I may have to travel. We are always working with them. It鈥檚 happened in the past with my predecessors that sometimes it just doesn鈥檛 add up but most of the time we try to make it work. And we will continue to do that in the years to come. We are open for business. Please, send us your request.

So what do you say to the Boy Scouts Association and St. John鈥檚 Ambulance? These are the organizations that say 鈥榟ey why didn鈥檛 we have the honor of the Governor General this year?鈥�

鈥淏ecause we are working on it now.鈥�

So I want to just dig a little deeper on that. You鈥檙e looking at whether the organizations fit your ideology or give me some understanding as to the review that鈥檚 under way.

鈥淲e have completed the review. Were about to put it out and we looked at the criteria perimeters, we looked at the way other Governor Generals had done this. I know Madame Clarkson went from 750 organizations to 250. So, this has been done before. I just regret it took so long and we鈥檙e there. We just have a few more partners to touch base with before we can release completely to the public.鈥�

I did look at the website today and I don鈥檛 see the breakdown of that so I think people are still going to be waiting to learn.

鈥淚t will be there before the first year which is next week.鈥�

This is my first time having the honour to interview you as Governor General so I want you to take me back to the moment you got that call from I鈥檓 assuming the Prime Minister? How did that work a year ago?

鈥淚 did get a call from the office of the Prime Minster to go and meet him, and I was certain it was for something else.鈥�

Had you reached out to the government or were you looking for a role in government?

鈥淣ot at all. Not at all. I was running a small business at the time and I was very pleased. I鈥檓 also the mom of a teenager so I didn鈥檛 expect this at all. So when I had a request to meet the Prime Minster, I was certain it was about the announcement of the new astronauts. There were two new astronauts. So I just went with my kid on my jeep and we were floored, the two of us.鈥�

Your reaction, you were floored. Did it take you time to decide yes or no? Did you seek council from anybody to see was this is something you wanted to do? Or is it the kind of thing you can鈥檛 say no to?

鈥淚t is the kind of thing you can鈥檛 say no to, so I asked a number of questions and I did talk to a number of people but I didn鈥檛 wait very long. Less than 24 hours. I think it鈥檚 very important. I truly believe that if your country calls, there鈥檚 only one answer possible.鈥�

What is your reaction to the headlines: 鈥楾he Governor General is looking for an out,鈥� 鈥楾he Governor General is unhappy in her role, 鈥楾he Governor General: prisoner in a gilded cage. What do you make of this perception?

鈥淭he perception we have to address. I welcome comments. I think criticism can be very constructive and can help further. I mean there鈥檚 no perfect perfection anywhere. There鈥檚 no perfect picture. I don鈥檛 pretend to be perfect.

鈥淚 started this job and I learned and I had missteps and those missteps I corrected and I will continue to do that, because they鈥檒l come again. It鈥檚 human nature. It is important for me to move ahead and to look forward to do that. I鈥檓 so motivated. I really feel that after the first year where we鈥檝e crisscrossed Canada, where we鈥檝e planed, we鈥檝e looked forward on where we want to go.

鈥淣ow the train was in the station and now I feel like the train is about to leave. We have all the teams on board, we have the ideas and we have the motivation. I鈥檓 very blessed to be supported by an amazing team. So I would say were about to take of if I can use a pun.鈥�

But still, even today I have to be honest, on my drive here, I said to the cab driver 鈥業鈥檓 coming to interview the Governor General鈥� and his first comment was 鈥業 hear she鈥檚 leaving.鈥�

鈥淚 so look forward to continuing in the next few years. And that鈥檚 why鈥擨 don鈥檛 know if the cab driver saw鈥攂ut we released our one year video. We wanted to release it on the day of the exact one year, the second of October but because of the circumstance we released it a little early. That tells our story and were going to be endeavoring to tell it better.鈥�

What is your message to those trying to tear you down --  or the information out there that suggests there鈥檚 a frustration or a locking of heads between the new Governor General and the government?

鈥淚 cannot explain that. What I can explain is who we are as a team. I鈥檓 a team player. In my previous job, you can鈥檛 go to space if you鈥檙e not part of the crew. And the crew is just the tip of the iceberg. We have thousands of people on the ground and they basically plan, direct and make us execute missions. There are similarities with that.

鈥淭o me, I have to go forward and learn from mistakes but also we do so many good deeds here within the officer of the Governor General. We are representing Canada and were so proud of it and I hope that I continue to do that and people will be proud of what we do. We鈥檙e going forward.鈥�

Do you think that鈥檚 been overshadowed then, the good work? Because I鈥檓 sure it must impact you, the news stories that keep emerging.

鈥淚t does but I look forward again. We were in Newfoundland and Labrador just last week when some of the stories started to break out. And I was wondering if that would change how people interacted with me, and with us and, it didn鈥檛 at all.

鈥淚 had the opportunity to go everywhere in Canada when I was an astronaut because Canadians astronauts, we are a representative of our country. In space but we also do a lot of outreach within Canada. And I鈥檓 doing that again and now when I go back to places that I have been, I have received the exact same welcome that I did before in my previous position. So I don鈥檛 have this feeling.鈥�

What do you make of this perception then, that is there. How do you fight that?

鈥淲ith communication and inviting people to come here to do like we are doing now. I鈥檓 really grateful we had an interview planned a long time ago and now I think it鈥檚 perfectly appropriate at the one-year mark that we have this discussion and I welcome more discussions.鈥�

What do you want to bring to this role? You鈥檝e had a year now to review as you say. What will look different in year two?

鈥淚鈥檓 very, very proud of the work that we鈥檝e done in the first year. That I have to say, the team worked so hard. It鈥檚 a transition for them as well. They have to go from one Governor General to another Governor General to another Governor General. So that year has been a really cool year, from my perspective.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been exciting. It鈥檚 been remarkable. The connection that has been established throughout Canada has been really good and now we are continuing in that sense. Clearly with the launch of our new website and the launch of a few new initiatives we鈥檝e been working on.

鈥淭oday we actually did the first pilot of our new outreach innovative using technology. When I came into this job I did not really understand what a Governor General did. So I鈥檓 like, 鈥楳aybe we can work on that one鈥� and share more with Canadians the importance of this institution and what it does exactly and why it鈥檚 important to Canadians.鈥�

What have you learned in that investigation for yourself? What have you learned about a job that is largely about appearances and yet, you are someone who really wants to be in charge of those relationships, as you put it?

鈥淚t鈥檚 actually a job with connections. There鈥檚 a lot of connection that you help do with people and you do with people. There鈥檚 a constitutional role, there鈥檚 a representation role -- which I take very seriously. There鈥檚 a role of commander-in-chief, which is very dear to my heart because I come from an operational world. And then there is the connection world. The honouring excellence, to listen to people, to be there for them. And that鈥檚 why we have been so steadfast in doing this better.鈥�

I wonder if it was a surprise to you that accepting this most elite positon in Canada -- also as the face of Canada -- meant that your whole life was going to be under public scrutiny, your personal life. Was that a surprise to you?

鈥淚t was a different way to approach it because I鈥檝e been in the public light for 25 years. So people鈥檚 trust in astronauts is quite important. So I had that before. It was a lot more in this position and that鈥檚 okay. It comes with public life and it鈥檚 a responsibility we take and therefore we take also the fact that people will ask questions and some might have comments to do.鈥�

Did it anger you?

鈥淲hy would it? It鈥檚 absolutely normal that they do. If, however, there鈥檚 a line which is really important and I think in Canada we are very sensitive to that and I鈥檝e felt it all along the last year. People were very sensitive that there is a public part of life and there is a private part of life and I don鈥檛 have any issues with where that line is.鈥�

There鈥檚 another side though to every life to make us whole. For you, I look at what must have been the darkest moment and I鈥檓 thinking of that road, driving down that road, the rainy road and someone running out in front of your car. How did that fatal accident change you?

鈥淓very event, whether they鈥檙e positive or negative, shapes us. And sometimes events happen that we couldn鈥檛 even fathom. 2011 was a very difficult year for me. That鈥檚 probably even an understatement. It was a very difficult year. If I could borrow Her Majesty the Queen鈥檚 word, it was my annus horribilis. And that was part of it. But it鈥檚 behind me. I鈥檝e moved forward. I鈥檓 an optimist.鈥�

Does it make you stronger?

鈥淥h of course. Unfortunately. Difficult times make us stronger.鈥�

Does it bring empathy? Your own personal experiences, do they help you in better relating to average Canadians?

鈥淣ormally it helps, but it is important that I share those. You may bring up the fact that one of the criticisms was that we didn鈥檛 go to Humboldt six months ago. And I鈥檓 going next month. Next month I鈥檓 going to share something I never shared in public before, and it has to do with the fact that I lost my best friend when Space Shuttle Columbia did not come home. I will share that with them and I think it鈥檚 very important that we open up this little part and share personal experiences.鈥�

Is it hard to now have limits on your personal privacy?

鈥淭he limits come with the function. And so that I understand. But otherwise it is still things that happen in my life and in French there鈥檚 an expression that says 鈥� people who are happy are without story. I鈥檓 very blessed. I鈥檓 very well surrounded and I have a great son. I have to say it.鈥�

How鈥檚 he adjusting to life in the fish bowl?

鈥淗e is so cool.鈥�

Do you learn from him?

鈥淥h, big time. And he鈥檚 15 so of course he knows everything. He鈥檚 great鈥�

What about moving into Rideau Hall? There鈥檚 a lot of people who say 鈥楬ey, the renovation is largely finished. Why not move in?鈥�

鈥淲ell I am in Rideau Hall. I鈥檓 here every day. My office is here. This is where we work. I鈥檓 currently right here on the premise. We have to understand how we鈥檙e going to conduct a number of things. And right now with all the partners, were going to figure out that plan.鈥�

Do you want to live in this historic --

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to happen. For sure I鈥檓 going to come here. But before that we鈥檙e going to do the right things. We鈥檙e going to do the renovations. We鈥檙e going to refurbish the ballroom. It鈥檚 the most important room in this residence. I call it Canadas residence, where the Governor General is. And right now, I鈥檓 right here. So for me it鈥檚 normal. I sort of live here.鈥�

One of the things the security is saying that I鈥檝e read about -- they want you to live in here because it鈥檚 fully secured. And there is some reporting that suggests the RCMP is having a great challenge tracking you. You鈥檙e a woman who wants to go out and run when you want to go out and run. So give me some understanding into the challenge, the frustration, whatever you tell me the word, of having security around you all the time?

鈥淭hat too comes with the job. And I鈥檓 certain that in your career you鈥檝e had a chance to work or do interviews with the RCMP. They鈥檙e a very, very professional group and I鈥檓 very blessed to have a remarkable group that does close protection. I can assure you, they know. There鈥檚 technology. They know where I am.鈥�

They have a GPS on you at every moment?

鈥淲ell this morning I went running and they decide and they know better. If there is an issue, they will come to me and we will adjust immediately. They tell what the framework is and we work within that. Clearly, the close protection agents are with me all the time. They are in my private life. So the relationship is absolutely paramount here. Otherwise it would be really difficult.鈥�

Again I want to ask, going forward, what can Canadians see as your vision? I looked for it on the website and I want to understand better what you want to bring to this role?

鈥淲ell, being an engineer and a bit of a geek, I would say I like technology -- we鈥檙e bringing a bit of that here. We鈥檙e using technological tools to reach out and I鈥檓 very interested in continuing what I did before as an astronaut. It鈥檚 to perhaps inspire young people to go and dare to dream. To find what it is about them that they really like and that they would want to become and to tell them they can be all they want to be because they鈥檙e born in a country that is open and tolerant, where we believe in the equality of chances. That there nothing they cannot do.

鈥淲hen a young person comes and says, 鈥榃ell, I鈥檇 like to become an astronaut. Can I?鈥� And I say there鈥檚 no reason why you cannot. For this, that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e so excited that the team, with this new initiative that we just did a pilot today, which is we reach out to schools with a teleconference and they can come and ask questions to the Governor General.

鈥淭he only question that we ask (that) they ask within that 15-20 minutes is 鈥榃hat does a Governor General do and how does it fit in with the structure of the country?鈥� And the rest is open. The kids can ask any question they want.

鈥淎nd we think this might be something that other people might like to take. So that you can reach out in places where physically, you can鈥檛 always go, because we can鈥檛 be everywhere.鈥�

Did you ever imagine you would be Governor General of Canada?

鈥淣o, I wanted to be an astronaut.鈥�

Well, you got that.

鈥淚 tell this story because it鈥檚 actually a bit funny. I鈥檓 9, 10 and I鈥檓 watching the Apollo astronauts go to the moon. We鈥檙e sitting on the floor of a school and they have this 鈥� huge TV and I鈥檓 looking at that and I鈥檓 thinking 鈥楳e, I would like to do that.鈥� But it didn鈥檛 dawn on me then that they were American, I was Canadian. They were men, I was a girl. They were test pilots, military folks. I鈥檓 9 years old. Nobody in my family has been in an airplane. And they speak English. I didn鈥檛 speak English when I was a kid until later. So It鈥檚 amazing. That spark you never know where it鈥檚 going to light.鈥�

That took discipline. This job is also about discipline. Describe the difference though in the discipline required to fulfil this all-important role as Governor General?

鈥淚 would say it鈥檚 very similar. And just like in my other job, using a NASA term, failure is not an option. Failure is not an option here. It is important.鈥�

So you鈥檙e not going anywhere?

鈥淣辞.鈥�

Those headlines that say 鈥楶ayette looking for a way out鈥�?

鈥淥h God, no. I鈥檓 so motivated about continuing the next year and making this mandate something that everybody will be proud of. And I really hope so."

Are you worried that there鈥檚 a 鈥榯hem鈥� trying to tear down the 鈥榰s鈥� that you鈥檙e trying to present?

鈥淚 will take every constructive criticism, make it my own, learn from my mistake and go forward.鈥�

What鈥檚 the lesson learned from year one?

鈥淐ommunicate better. And the team behind me is doing just that, so that鈥檚 why I would encourage folks to follow us. We鈥檙e on social media. We just launched a new website. We did a one-year video and write to us, communicate with us. We answer to everybody. We鈥檙e open for business.鈥�

Is there anything else you鈥檇 like to add? Is there anything final thoughts, looking forward, vision that you鈥檇 like to share?

鈥淚 think that we are blessed to live here in Canada. We are in a position to make a difference and to do that we have to work, because nothing comes without effort.

鈥淲e are in the position, as a country, as citizens of the world, to bring this message of openness, of tolerance, of inclusivity, of equality of chances, and of using our minds and critical thinking. Base our decision-making using facts and evidence to support it and our better judgment 鈥� best judgment, as much as possible 鈥搕o go forward. And that, to me, is who we are.鈥�

Are you worried about the tone of the world right now? Based on what you鈥檙e saying, there鈥檚 a definite tone, certainly even coming from the highest office in America that seems to be counterproductive to the message you鈥檙e putting forward.

鈥淲hat reassures me is the fact that right now, today, orbiting the planet is the International Space Station. Onboard there are Russians, Americans, there were Canadians. There鈥檚 one coming, going there in December, that is (David) Saint-Jacques. There are people from Japan and people from Europe.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 hear much about the International Space Station in the front page, but for almost 18 years now, it鈥檚 been orbiting with people whose governments on the ground don鈥檛 always see necessarily eye to eye. And the reason we don鈥檛 hear about it much, I think, is perhaps because we get along up there. We have no choice.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no big drama. People communicate every day, 365 days a year. And that to me is very reassuring. We can 鈥� we, the human beings -- if we really want to, if we really push, we can get together, put our brains together, our resources together and move along. It鈥檚 the first time in the history of mankind that so many nations have put so much effort into building a laboratory in one of the harshest environments, space. To further and advance our common knowledge and bring this back here on Earth where it counts. And that is what reassures me. We can do it.鈥�

How often do you speak to the Prime Minister? Is it that a weekly thing?

鈥淵es. And he was here on his normal visit a couple of days ago and everybody thought that because there is this rumor, I will quit. I鈥檓 not. On the contrary I鈥檓 so motivated to do well and a good job for Canada.鈥�

It must be very frustrating.

鈥淚t isn鈥檛 so bad.鈥�

Well than you鈥檝e got patience. Because I don鈥檛 know it seems --

鈥淚t鈥檚 nothing like having a teenager at home."

Well, that鈥檚 a good perspective. But that鈥檚 the most important thing is you鈥檙e still the mother of this boy and you probably have to interpret for him. Does he see this stuff too?

鈥淥h absolutely. When I said to him there鈥檚 going to be this report tomorrow that says I鈥檓 not working hard and he started laughing and saying that鈥檚 the understatement of the year. So that鈥檚 my son.鈥�