Governor General Mary Simon Faces Criticism from Taxpayers Advocacy Group Over Excessive Travel Expenses

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is criticizing the millions of dollars in travel expenses spent by Governor General Mary Simon in 2022.

According to an Aug. 24 CTF federal commentary, in 2022—Mrs. Simon’s first calendar year in her position—she spent at least $2.7 million for five trips abroad and over a dozen trips within Canada.

The CTF alleges that Mrs. Simon, Canada’s representative of the Crown, brought along “a dizzying array of underlings and support staff on most voyages.” The organization says that its analysis indicates the total cost to taxpayers was at least $2,784,010 but that the final figure will likely be higher as the government continues to process costs into 2023.

“Why do Canadians need our governor general going on all these trips?” asked Franco Terrazzano, CTF’s federal director.

According to Mr. Terrazzano, the Governor General should have “the courtesy and common sense to realize many Canadians are struggling and can’t afford to pay for her expensive trips.”

Entourage

Mrs. Simon’s office did not return requests for comment by press time, but the CTF said that in 2022, the Governor General routinely travelled with “an extended entourage, including her husband, secretary, several communication strategists and ‘aides-de-camp,’ alongside her official videographer and her official photographer, among others.”

The Governor General stayed in luxury hotels including the Ritz-Carlton in Berlin, the Great Scotland Yard Hotel in London, the 1919 Radisson Blu in Reykjavik, Iceland, and the Jumeriah Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai, UAE.

According to a June 2022 report in the National Post, Mrs. Simon and her entourage of 29 fellow passengers had an in-flight catering bill of close to $100,000 aboard an RCAF transport plane during their weeklong $1.3 million trip to the Middle East in March that year.

The trip also included a visit to Dubai on the occasion Canada’s National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai, meetings between Mrs. Simon and Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as well as a stop in Kuwait to visit Camp Canada at Ali Al Salem Air Base and to meet Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber



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