I don’t even know what the food orders are. But I do know one thing: our meals on these trips are not very extravagant. “They’re very often the equivalent of meals served on airplanes, and the way they’ve been portrayed in the media was unfair in my opinion,” she said in an interview with CBC’s The House.
The National Post first reported the case of expenses related to the Governor-General’s trip, during which she spent time in London, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait. The Department of Defense, which arranges food and beverages on diplomatic flights, said the eight-day official trip cost about $80,000.
Also in The House, Ms Simon said her office shares Canadians’ concerns about travel costs and is working with Global Affairs Canada and Defense to reduce costs for future travel.
Last month, Stewart Wheeler, Canada’s chief of protocol at Global Affairs, said some elements of the flight were problematic. MPs expressed confusion over the charges and Conservative Pierre Paul-Hus wanted to know if there had been any excesses.
Christine MacIntyre, assistant secretary to the governor-general, told lawmakers Rideau Hall was also surprised and concerned about the charges.
The cost shocked us all, she said.
“We ate eggs. We were served omelettes. »
– A quote from Christine MacIntyre, Assistant Secretary to the Governor General
In a statement to CBC, the defense said an interdepartmental task force was being set up to implement actions to get the best value for money going forward. The ministry said food and drink costs are affected by several factors, including the exchange rate and the location of stops, as well as the number and types of catering companies available.
The governor-general recalled that she had traveled at the request of the prime minister.
I don’t just take my suitcase and go where I want, she said. Every trip must be carefully organized. The goals of the trip must be clearly defined.
Travel, an essential aspect of the position
Ms Simon said she was expecting another meeting in the parliamentary committee on the trip and hoped MPs could continue to shed light on this misunderstanding.
I believe that people should first understand that I do not take my duties lightly and then want to do them as sparingly as possible. But we travel a lot and that’s an essential aspect of this job, she said.
The governor-general reiterated that she has no role in organizing the trips, but rather focuses on the purpose of her trips, which is to promote peace in the world.