Governor General Mary Simon and her 29 guests consumed nearly $1,000 worth of sliced lemons and limes during their Middle East tour in March.
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This is what we learn by consulting the detailed invoices provided to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.
They were provided to explain the $80,000 spent on eight meals served aboard the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CC-150 Polaris Airbus from March 16-24.
In this 57-page bundle of invoices, there are countless slices of lemons and limes paid for 204 Canadian dollars, 150 pounds sterling and 400 euros, or a total of 950 Canadian dollars just for sliced citrus fruits.
Not just eggs
These invoices also show the detailed in-flight menus served to the Governor General and her delegation.
Questioned in committee last week, the under-secretary of Mme Simon, Christine MacIntyre, assured that the menu resembled those on commercial airliners.
“We had eggs, we had omelettes,” she said.
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Verification made, omelettes were indeed served, an omelette with Boursin cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and chives, in particular.
But there was also beef carpaccio, pork tenderloin stuffed with apples and cranberries, beef Wellington, chicken cutlets with mushrooms, grilled salmon, white chocolate mousse, etc.
The under-secretary of M.me Simon “sort of tried to mislead the House, and I’m saying that to be polite,” scolds Tory MP Kelly McCauley, who demanded the menus.
The meals are supplemented by thousands of dollars in snacks and other items of all kinds, including $553 in ice cubes, $285 in wet ice packs, $230 for a flower arrangement, and $212 in Red Bull.