The Governor General of Canada’s office racked up over $88,000 in expenses on designer fashion at the expense of taxpayers since 2017.
According to the National Post, both Julie Payette – who occupied the position until 2021 – and current Governor General Mary Simon have expensed clothing items worth hundreds to thousands of dollars a piece.
In 2019, Payette expensed boots costing $1,064.71 and a year later she bought a vest for $1,800 and a $2,470 suit.
As for Simon, her office claimed dress shoes costing up to $429.99 and a $160 scarf with her taxpayer-funded expense account.
Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Franco Terrazzano said in a press release that due to the large salaries earned by Governor Generals, they should be required to pay for their own expenses.
“The feds need to rein in the governor general’s out-of-control expenses,” said Terrazzano.
“Canada’s governor general already takes a $342,100 salary every year so they can pay for their own clothes.”
The expenses were obtained by Conservative MP Kelly McCauley who called their contents “obscene.”
“The prime minister doesn’t get a penny for clothing allowance,” McCauley told the National Post.
“MPs pay for their own tuxedos, as do everyday Canadians. I would expect any business-style clothing, shoes, T-shirts, anything they should pay with their own very, very, very well compensated salary.”
According to the rules, the Governor General is allowed to expense up to $130,000 in clothing items over their entire five-year mandate. The first year has a $60,000 limit for the amount of expenses claimed and the last year has a $10,000 limit.
“Many Canadians are actually stressed about the price of clothing, but the governor general isn’t one of them,” Terrazzano said.
“If the prime minister and ministers can pay for their own clothes then surely governors general can too.”
