Steven Sukkau
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Winnipeg Sun
Governor General Mary Simon will receive an automatic salary increase this year under federal law, bringing her annual pay to $393,800, according to the Privy Council Office.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says the increase amounts to about $1,317 more per month. The organization said the raise is the fifth automatic increase since Simon took office and totals $15,800 for 2026 alone.
CTF federal director Franco Terrazzano said the salary is now roughly five times the income of an average Canadian worker.
“Can anyone in Ottawa explain how Canadians are getting more value from the governor general because her taxpayer-funded salary just increased by more than $1,300 a month?” Terrazzano said
The Privy Council Office said the salary is set under the Governor General’s Act, which ties compensation to a formula that increases automatically each year. Since 2019, the base salary for the position has risen by about $91,000.
By comparison, the average Canadian earns about $75,000 annually, according to data from Statistics Canada.
The federation said the governor general is not alone in receiving automatic raises. Members of Parliament and senators also receive annual increases, and union leaders have cited those increases as justification for higher pay for federal public servants, the group said, pointing to internal documents it obtained.
Federal payroll and administrative costs reached $71.4 billion in 2024-25, according to Public Accounts figures cited by the federation, an increase of about 80 per cent over the past decade.
Those increases come as Ottawa’s debt continues to rise. The federation said federal debt is projected to reach $1.35 trillion this year, with interest costs exceeding what the government transfers to provinces for health care or collects through the federal sales tax.
On top of her base salary, the federation said the governor general receives extensive benefits, including an official residence, a clothing allowance and travel expenses. The clothing budget is set at $130,000 over a five-year term.
The group said expense disclosures show Simon charged taxpayers thousands of dollars for clothing items, including suits, coats and footwear, and also billed for undergarments. It also pointed to travel costs, including six-figure catering bills on overseas trips and tens of thousands of dollars in ground transportation during foreign visits.
Former governors general also qualify for a pension of about $150,000 per year and can continue to claim expenses of up to $206,000 annually after leaving office, according to the federation’s estimates.
“The entitlement culture in Ottawa is an insult to taxpayers,” Terrazzano said. “If politicians want to show they understand the pressure on families, they should stop rubber-stamping automatic pay increases for the governor general, politicians and bureaucrats.”
