Governor General of Canada Mary Simon’s salary has increased by $48,000 since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to information obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).
• Read also: Governor General: Not up to taxpayers to pay for clothes
• Read also: Mary Simon and Julie Payette cost us nearly $100,000 in clothes
In 2019, the annual salary of the Governor General was $302,800, and this remuneration gradually increased by 16% to reach $351,600 in 2023.
“Can the federal government seriously claim that the additional $48,800 paid to the Governor General represents added value for taxpayers?” asked Nicolas Gagnon, Quebec director for the FCC, by press release.
“The government continues to approve without debate staggering salary increases for its senior civil servants as Canadians wonder if they will be able to afford their groceries this week,” he added.
Between 2022 and 2023, Ms. Simon’s salary increased by $9,500, the Privy Council Office also reported to the FCC, which clarified that these annual salary increases were “determined in accordance with the provisions of the Governor General’s Act”. .
The pay raise follows revelations that the governor, along with her predecessor Julie Payette, have spent more than $88,000 on taxpayer clothing since 2017. The purchases include silk jackets, dresses, a suede vest, shoes and a scarf.
Each governor general is allowed to spend up to $130,000 on clothing purchases over a five-year period, with a cap of $60,000 in the first year, the FCC said.
In addition, former governors general can receive a pension of $150,000 per year, regardless of their term of office. The FCC also estimates that the five former governors general still alive will receive more than $18 million if they continue to receive their pension until the age of 90.
“It is high time to put an end to the excessive increases and indecent advantages of the Governor General,” also declared Mr. Gagnon.
Salary evolution since 2019
- 2019: $302,800
- 2020: $310,100
- 2021: $328,700
- 2022: $342,100
- 2023: $351,600