After receiving criticism for continuing in her predecessors' high-spending ways, Canada's Governor General Mary Simon turned off all her social media accounts.
Entitled Governor General Mary Simon has herself confused with royalty | Western Standard - Linda Slobodian:
March 27, 2023 - "When Mary Simon was sworn in as governor general 18 months ago, there were hopes she would show respect to struggling Canadians and exercise ... fiscal responsibility.... Former governor-general Julie Payette resigned in disgrace, leaving a tarnished legacy. Abuse to staff. Entitlement. Snobbery. Horrific wasteful spending. For Canadians, the door at Rideau Gate didn’t slam behind Payette fast enough.... Simon had to know Canadians were disgusted with Payette for wantonly blowing their money while accomplishing little more than billing $139,000 for the design of a never-built private staircase so she could avoid people. And driving staff to tears. Yet, Simon went on spending sprees gobbling up great chunks of the $35 million budgeted for her office....
"Payette wanted to hide from people. Simon did.... In February, Simon’s office turned off social media accounts claiming there was a rise of 'violent threats.' If so, that’s unacceptable. So, deal with the alleged threats. But you don’t get to shut out Canadians — your employers — who want to know why you spent $600 on lemon and lime garnishes for in-flight meals on one junket....
"The latest revelation is that taxpayers footed $90,615 for Simon to visit her home in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Que for one day last May. Infuriating, but peanuts compared to the $1.15 million spent on a 2021 Dubai military junket with an entourage of about 45 (reported numbers differ.) Or the $800,000 spent to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany earlier that year. Of course, nothing less than five-star hotels with feather quilts and pillows would do for the 32 guests on that four-day trip.
"Simon has blown an opportunity to show some class and respect for Canadians economically beaten down by COVID’s ravages and inflation and struggling to put food on the table. Did she really earn that $40,000 pay raise she got during the pandemic that hiked her salary to $324,100? Simon could have brought integrity back to her important role that Canadians increasingly resent supporting because of wasteful spending that dogs it. Payette spent $3 million on travel. The tab would have been higher had COVID-19 not, mercifully, shut her in lockdown. Former governor-general Adrienne Clarkson blew $5 million on one Arctic nations tour. Unfortunately, like them, Simon embraced the same misguided notion of entitlement. It was her turn to sidle up to the public trough, and time and again her office has gone on a feeding frenzy. Literally.
"Simon spent $93,118 on in-flight airline food on a junket to Expo 2020 in Dubai last March. Each meal — breakfast, lunch, and dinner — for the gang cost taxpayers $218 apiece ... — while you shopped for canned soup on sale. The entourage tagging along was royally coddled — while many Canadians wondered if the food in the fridge would last until pay day.... Was it necessary for Simon to be ferried in a military aircraft 3,000 kilometres back and forth between Ottawa and Halifax to put in six minutes of work at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in 2022? Why did she pass on a three-hour car ride from Ottawa to Peterborough in favour of blowing $8,300 to fly to a Royal Canadian Air Force event to make a speech?...
"As Commander-in-Chief one of the governor general’s responsibilities is to represent the military in Canada and abroad. Simon squeezed $349.69 out of the Germany junket’s $800,000 budget to lay to lay a wreath at the Neue Wache in Berlin to commemorate 'victims of war and tyranny.' That was a tad more than the $230 spent on flower arrangements to make their $103,000 in-flight catering meals prettier. The Department of National Defence spent $272,277.53 just on the trip. But there isn’t enough money for training exercises....
"When Payette’s wasteful spending was outed, opposition MPs were outraged. When Simon’s wasteful spending was outed, opposition MPs were outraged.... Nothing changes. Governors general who squander taxpayer money enjoy an annual $150,000 pension plus another $200,000 or so every year for expenses. But while in office, these entitled dames carry on spending lavishly, foolishly — because they can."
"'Use some common sense': Canadian Taxpayers Federation on GG expenses", YouTube, June 15, 2022:
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