A taxpayer advocacy group is questioning the logic behind Governor General Mary Simon’s latest salary hike while Canadians struggle to stay afloat.
Simon’s salary is set to see a significant increase in 2024. The adjustment will boost the annual earnings of the current governor general, Mary Simon, by $11,200, increasing her salary to $362,800.
This increment marks Simon’s third raise since her 2021 appointment, cumulatively amounting to an extra $34,000 per year.
In 2019, the governor general’s salary was $302,800. The salary has increased by $60,000 or 20% since 2019. Conversely, the average salary among full-time workers is less than $70,000 per year, according to Statistics Canada.
The salary adjustments given to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation by the Privy Council Office adhere to the legislative framework established by the Governor General’s Act.
This legislation, which set the base salary at $270,602 over a decade ago, allows for annual increases based on a complex formula tied to the nation’s industrial aggregate, a benchmark of labour force earnings.
With many Canadians grappling with the cost of living, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation questions the justification behind the escalating salary.
“Canadians are struggling to afford a jug of milk or a package of ground beef, so the government shouldn’t be rubber-stamping another raise for the Governor General,” said Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the CTF.
He asked whether the government could show Canadians how they’re getting more value because the governor general’s paycheque went up approximately $1,000 a month. The platinum pay and perks for the Governor General should have been reined in years ago, said Terrazzano.
Terrazzano said that the Liberal government should not only cut spending but also provide more transparency.
“A serious government would mandate the governor general’s office be subject to access-to-information requests, cut all international travel except for meetings with the monarchy, end the expense account for former Governors General, reform the pension and scrap the clothing allowance,” he said.
The governor general role also comes with a long list of benefits, including a taxpayer-funded mansion, a platinum pension, a generous retirement allowance, a clothing budget, paid dry cleaning services, and travel expenses, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
Governors General have a clothing allowance that permits up to $130,000 in expenses over their five-year mandates. The expenses are limited to $60,000 the first year and drop to $10,000 by year five.
Since 2017, more than $88,000 has been spent on clothing for Simon and her predecessor, Julie Payette, billing taxpayers for over 200 items of clothing, according to the National Post. The type of clothing purchased ranges from ceremonial dresses and evening wear to everyday clothing.
Moreover, in her inaugural year, Simon’s travel expenses were $2.7 million, split between four international visits and 17 trips within Canada.
Simon had previously been criticized by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation for her week-long trip to the Middle East to visit Expo 2020 in Dubai, which cost taxpayers more than $1 million. The expenses included nearly $100,000 on airplane food alone, with a menu including beef wellington, pork tenderloin, and carpaccio.
Following media reports, a parliamentary committee recommended reforms to the governor general’s travel budget, including reviewing the cost-effectiveness of trips, a reduction in the size of delegations, and less spending on snacks and drinks.
The governor general’s salary increased by almost $40,000 during the pandemic.
“Why does the governor general need an extra $40,000 when they can expense taxpayers for as much beef wellington as they can stomach?” asked Terrazzano.
Former governor generals can continue to expense taxpayers for up to $206,000 per year after leaving office, said the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. This perk extends for the entirety of their lives and continues up to six months after they die.
They also receive a $150,000 annual pension irrespective of time served.
Before the pandemic, former governor general Julie Payette spent $3 million in travel expenses, said Blacklock’s Reporter.
Despite only serving for three years, Payette will receive an estimated $4.8 million if she collects her pension until age 90, according to estimates of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
The advocacy group estimates that Canada’s five living former governor generals will receive more than $18 million if they continuously collect their pensions until age 90.
During their tenures at Rideau Hall, former governor generals Michaëlle Jean and Adrienne Clarkson incurred overseas travel costs totalling $9.3 million and $8.9 million, respectively.
