Taxpayers chipped-in for a near $40,000 pay bump to the governor general while facing the economic struggles of the pandemic, according to a taxpayer advocate.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) says the governor general salary rose to roughly $340,000 after three years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Can the government prove the governor general is providing taxpayers with $40,000 in extra value?” said CTF federal director Franco Terrazzano. “The government continues to rubber stamp raises while Canadians are asking themselves if they can afford a package of ground beef.”
The raise adds up to about 13% – and marks another spot of tension between the CTF and the G-G position.
The CTF has previously criticized the lifelong expense accounts which former governor generals can effectively bill taxpayers for more than $200,000 per year.
“They also receive a $150,000 a year pension regardless of how long they served,” Terrazzano notes.
The governor general’s salary is paid through the Government of Canada’s “Consolidated Revenue Fund,” which is made-up from the revenues of taxes and tariffs.
