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CTF calls on Trudeau government to halt expense payments to former governors general

Author: 2018/10/30
  • Unlimited taxpayer support for former governors general with zero transparency is completely unacceptable

  • Former governors general already benefit from generous taxpayer-funded annuity and “start-up grant” to establish a charity

OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today called on the Trudeau government to immediately end the outrageous government program that allows former governors general to bill taxpayers for millions of dollars in expenses indefinitely after they have left office.

“No Canadian has a job where they get to keep an unlimited expense account after they leave,” said CTF Federal Director Aaron Wudrick. “Governors general should be no exception to this rule.”

National Post story today revealed that the expense program has been in place since 1979. Former governor general Adrienne Clarkson has billed taxpayers for more than $1.1 million since leaving office in 2005 and for nine of the last 12 years billed more than $100,000 per year.

Wudrick noted that upon leaving office, governors general already receive a very generous annuity and a large lump sum payment to help them set up a charity.

“To permit them to continue to bill taxpayers indefinitely, for more than $100,000 a year, with absolutely no transparency, is totally unacceptable,” said Wudrick.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has launched a petition calling for the government to end this unnecessary perk. It can be found here: https://www.taxpayer.com/resource-centre/petitions/petition?tpContentId=186


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Federal Director at
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