Commons Committee Asks Governor General to Curb Spending

Governor General Mary Simon delivers a keynote address at the Canadian Bar AssociationÕs Aboriginal Law conference in Ottawa, on May 11, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby)

A House of Commons committee is asking Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to exercise fiscal restraint within her annual budget of $24.7 million. The recommendation from the government operations committee comes in response to concerns raised by MPs regarding the excessiveness and lack of transparency in Rideau Hall’s expenditures, particularly concerning overseas trips.

In a report titled “Travel Expenditures Related to the Office of The Governor General’s Secretary Since 2014,” the committee expressed dissatisfaction with the information provided by Rideau Hall officials during their testimony, noting MPs “were surprised to learn more details about travel expenses in media,” as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.

The committee’s inquiry into the expenses incurred by the Governor General was prompted by public outcry over the $1.17 million spent on Ms. Simon’s 2022 trip to Dubai. One contentious issue was the inflight catering expenses, which totalled $93,118.

Christine MacIntyre, deputy secretary to the Governor General, testified last November that “The meals we were given are the types of meals you would get on a commercial flight.”

However, MPs unearthed documentation revealing that the meals on the flight included extravagant items such as Beef Wellington, fresh salmon, gourmet cakes, and fine wines.

Bloc Québécois MP Julie Vignola told the committee last October that she had received about 500 emails from taxpayers who expressing dissatisfaction about the lavish spending on Ms. Simon’s trip. Conservative MP Kelly McCauley also said he received about 1,300 emails regarding the spending in one day.

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In response, the committee has put forward a series of cost-saving measures for Rideau Hall. These include reducing delegation sizes, opting for commercial flights over government jets, limiting menu options, discontinuing the use of silverware, and implementing stringent trip budgets.

MPs have also suggested that Rideau Hall regularly report travel expenses, issue quarterly updates, and publish an annual report on its activities, including detailed financial statements.

No committee members defended the Governor General’s lavish spending, according to Blacklock’s.

Apart from the expenses incurred during the Dubai trip, Conservative MPs have voiced concerns about additional lavish expenditures by Ms. Simon, as articulated in a “Supplementary Opinion” document, characterizing these expenditures as “egregious” and “unacceptable.” Notable instances include $71,000 for limousine rides in Iceland, $37,000 spent on a wardrobe with silk jackets, and hundreds of dollars spent on limes and lemons for use as drink garnishes.

The Supplementary Opinion emphasized an erosion of Canadians’ trust in the Governor General’s Office due to excessive expenditures and called for greater transparency and responsible stewardship of taxpayers’ money.

The separatist Bloc Québécois took it a step further, repeating their position that the role should be abolished.

David Wagner and  Peter Wilson contributed to this report.