OTTAWA — Gov. General Mary Simon is getting a $9,500 pay rise this year, bringing her annual salary to $351,600.
• Also read: Governor General: It’s not up to taxpayers to pay for clothes
• Also read: Mary Simon and Julie Payette cost us nearly $100,000 worth of clothes
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) learned this from the Privy Council Office. This brings the total salary increase granted to the monarchy’s representative since 2019 to $48,800. That year, Ms. Simon’s predecessor, Julie Payette, had received $302,800.
“Can the federal government seriously claim that the additional $48,800 being paid to the governor general represents value for taxpayers? asked Nicolas Gagnon, the FCC’s Quebec director. The government continues to agree, without debate, to drastic pay increases for its senior civil servants as Canadians wonder if they can pay for their groceries this week.”
The generous royal salary is in addition to all the benefits enjoyed by King Charles III’s representatives. in the country, including reimbursement of her clothing expenses, which have already totaled US$38,000 just for the first 16 months of Ms. Simon’s tenure. As we learned last week, Ms Simon and Ms Payette together received nearly $90,000 in public funds for their clothing.
“Why does the governor-general need a raise when she can charge taxpayers with all the fancy clothes and beef in Wellington she wants? protests Mr. Gagnon. It is high time the government put an end to the excessive raises and indecent benefits given to the governor general.”
The viceroys and queens are fed, housed, washed and smuggled around the world throughout their mandate at taxpayer expense, and continue to benefit from the generosity of the treasury even after they leave office, as they independently earn $150,000 a year from a lifetime pension received from the duration of their mandate. They also benefit from a lifetime fund of more than $200,000 per year for their charities.
In 2021, the Journal calculated that the monarchy was costing Canadians about $67 million annually.
Salary development since 2019
- 2019: $302,800
- 2020: $310,100
- 2021: $328,700
- 2022: $342,100
- 2023: $351,600
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