Rideau Hall issued a statement that Governor Mary Simon “shared public concerns” about the $ 93,000 catering bill piled up by her delegation on a government plane on a business trip to the Middle East.
Rideau Hall spokesman Natalie Babin Duflesne CBC News On June 16, the Canadian Army arranged Simon’s overseas travel and stated that he was “responsible for all decisions related to catering on these flights.”
“The governor-general shares public concerns about costs and looks forward to further clarification from the responsible department,” said Duflesne, citing the Department of National Defense and Global Affairs Canada as examples.
“The Governor-general will make official and official visits only at the request of the Prime Minister to support Canada’s international diplomatic purposes.”
The March trip, at the request of the Prime Minister, was conducted to strengthen Canada’s relations with Middle Eastern countries by meeting with national leaders, senior leaders and the Canadian ambassador. Simon was also an honorary guest on Canada’s Founding Day at the Expo in Dubai and met with members of the Canadian Army in Kuwait and Qatar.
Following a conservative MP Michael Barrett’s order form question regarding the price tag for an eight-day trip to Simon and her delegation on a Royal Canadian Air Force plane, the costs were revealed.
According to a response issued to Barrett, the $ 93,117.89 invoice states: “Food, non-alcoholic beverages, and related charges, airport taxes, including catering handling and delivery, storage, cleaning, and disposal of international waste. Administration fees, security fees, and local taxes. “
Simon, her staff, Global Affairs employees, and a Canadian representative were 30 people, but RCMP officers and crew may have eaten by plane.
The delegation left Ottawa on March 16 to meet Queen Elizabeth II’s audience in London to meet Simon, and then to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait. After stopping again in London, the plane landed in Ottawa and later parked at a military base in Trenton, Ontario.
This was Simon’s second overseas trip since he was appointed Queen of Canada in July 2021.
Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayer Federation, told the Epoch Times that he would like to know more about expenses.
“Getting nearly six-digit tabs for in-flight meals is a huge waste of money and shows taxpayers’ disdain for the hard-earned money. Taxpayers are 3,100 per person. You have the right to feel despised when you learn that the dollar has been spent on in-flight meals, “Terrazzano said.
“If you spend thousands of dollars on each in-flight meal, taxpayers need to see how much they have spent on hotels and meals on the ground in the Middle East. Taxpayers are paying invoices, and we are full. Deserves a full receipt at. “
Terrazzano sees spending revelations as another example of a “waste” concern pattern at Rideau Hall.
“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly failed to clean up the waste in Rideau Hall. This huge waste of money causes the government to stick for taxpayers and end the governor’s insignificant spending position. Indicates a long time ago. “
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Lee Harding is a Saskatchewan-based journalist and think tank researcher and contributor to The Epoch Times.