Governor General gets hefty pay raise and Canadians are livid
Canada’s Governor General got a pay raise of $9,500 last year, bringing her salary to over $350,000 in 2023, and Canadians aren’t impressed.
The numbers were released in a report from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), a non-profit organization that’s dedicated to lowering taxes, last week.
According to the CTF’s findings, Governor General Mary Simon will take home a salary of $351,600 in 2023, which is $48,800 more than what her predecessor made in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
āCan the government say with a straight face that taxpayers are getting an extra
$48,800 in value from the governor general?ā said Franco Terrazzano, CTF federal
director, in a statement. āThe government continues to rubber stamp pay raises while Canadians are wondering if they can afford a jug of milk.ā
CTF
Privy Council Office spokesperson Pierre-Alain Bujold confirmed the salary in an email statement to Daily Hive.
He says that theĀ Governor General’s ActĀ determines the pay and benefits for the representative of Canada’s monarch. In 2013, it established a base salary of $270,602.
“Annual adjustments to the salary are determined in accordance with the provisions of the Governor Generalās Act,” stated Bujold.
Many Canadians had the same sentiment as Terrazzano, having been hit hard with inflation in the past few years.
Frustrated citizens took to the internet to vent about the Governor General’s hefty pay raise while they struggle with the soaring cost of living.
“How about I pocket a $9,500 pay raise to bring my 2023 salary to the point where I don’t have to choose between food and rent,” commented one person on a Reddit post about the salary increase.
“For doing what, exactly?” another person questioned, bringing up the never-ending debate of whether Canada should still appoint a Governor General.
Others think public sector employees’ wages should be capped.
“Someone needs to cap wages for public sector employees making this much. So out of touch when someone making over 200k is getting a raise while people are out here struggling,” commented another Redditor.
“I am a government employee making nowhere near this much. Yes i know im more easily replaced but its frustrating.”
What do you think about this pay raise?
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