• The issue particularly affects Quebecers, with 88 per cent of respondents in the province opposing the current policy.

MONTREAL, QC: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is asking Justin Trudeau to scrap lifetime expense accounts for former governors general in light of recent survey results.

“This survey confirms what we already knew: taxpayers are not OK with seeing their money cover expensive entitlements for former governors general,” said CTF Quebec Director Renaud Brossard. “Frankly, what’s most surprising is how long it’s taking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to do something about it.”

Seventy-eight per cent of Canadians are opposed to life-time expense accounts for former governors general, according to a new Léger poll commissioned by the CTF. Only 13 per cent of those surveyed support the current policy.

Former governors general can each bill taxpayers for up to $206,000 per year in expenses for the rest of their lives and up until six months after their deaths, according to documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation through access to information requests.

Trudeau promised to review the entitlements given to former governors general in 2018. A report recommending changes was prepared for the prime minister in 2019. Trudeau has yet to implement any changes to the program.

“No saving is too small to be enacted when your government is dealing with a twelve-figure deficit,” said Brossard. “Scrapping those expensive taxpayer-funded expense account doesn’t just make sense; it’s also a popular measure.”

The full survey results can be consulted here: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/45975-001_GG_CanadianTaxpayersFederation_Feb%20(1).pdf.