Federal Employees Face Renewed Questions from MPs About Governor General’s $1.3M Middle East Trip

Governor General Mary Simon speaks during an address at Rideau Hall, in Ottawa on Sept. 8, 2022. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Federal employees from various departments today faced questions from MPs on a parliamentary committee about Gov. Gen. Mary Simon’s travel expenses from her trip to the Middle East in March, which totalled $1.3 million and included in-flight catering costs averaging $218 per meal for each attendee.

“At no time did the governor general make any decisions, request any service, or otherwise voice any preferences about travel, accommodation, catering [during the trip],” said Christine MacIntyre, Deputy Secretary of the governor general’s office, while testifying before the House of Commons government operations and estimates committee on Dec. 12.

The committee previously received documents from the federal departments that sent delegations on the trip, which included the RCMP, National Defence, Global Affairs Canada, and the governor general’s office.

In total, the eight-day trip cost $1.3 million, according to the documents. MacIntyre today called the price “unacceptable.”

“I want to assure the committee that the situation is being addressed. There have already been changes and we are all confident that these improvements will continue,” she said.

Stewart Wheeler, the Chief of Protocol of Canada for Foreign Affairs, told the committee today that his department calculated the trip’s total cost to be about $1.2 million.

MacIntyre previously told the committee that all meals served during the trip’s flights were the “same ones that are served on board commercial flights.”

Receipts later obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) through an Access to Information request showed that the governor-general was served high-end meals with expensive wines.

“[The] food was more elaborate than what was indicated,” Liberal MP Joanne Thompson today said to MacIntyre, adding, “Could you speak to that discrepancy, please?”

MacIntyre said her previous comments were based on her past experiences of international visits and said that she was giving examples of food served during the Middle East trip that was “consistent with food that had been served on previous government flights.”

“I was not attempting to justify or normalize these costs in any way,” she said. “I was trying to provide context to the committee about why, when learning about the costs of the visit, I was so surprised.”

‘Never Our Intention’

MPs today asked the witnesses why the CTF was given the trip’s catering receipts before the committee, despite the fact that MPs had requested all relevant documents relating to the governor general’s trip in late September.

“I don’t think that’s okay,” said Liberal MP Anthony Housefather.

Eric Kenny, commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, told the committee that his department had the invoices on hand when MPs initially requested them, but did not have a meal-by-meal cost breakdown.

“It was never our intention at all to deceive or provide you false information. It’s just that some additional information has come out since then,” Kenny said.

Wheeler later added that each of the witnesses wants their department’s employees to constantly challenge any “exorbitant costs” and spending that may arise.

“Because in my budgets, it would be me who would have that responsibility for the proper management of the funds,” Wheeler said.

“If this hadn’t come out in the press, would we even be having this meeting today?” asked Bloc Québécois MP Julie Vignola.

“What’s important is that we all have a duty as public servants to always seek transparency and proper management of public funds,” Wheeler replied.