Business
Pay increase for Governor General since 2019 is more than average Canadian annual salary
From the Canadian Taxpayers Federation
By Ryan Thorpe
The salary for Canada’s Governor General has skyrocketed by just over $75,000 since 2019. Meanwhile the average annual salary among all full-time workers in Canada was roughly $70,000 in 2024
Governor General Mary Simon pocketed a $15,200 pay raise this year, bumping her annual salary for 2025 up to $378,000.
This marks Simon’s fourth pay raise since she was appointed governor general in 2021, meaning she now makes $49,300 more than when she took on the role.
“Can anyone in government explain how Canadians are getting more value from the governor general, because her taxpayer-funded salary just increased by more than $1,200 a month,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “The automatic-pay-raise culture in Ottawa is ridiculous and politicians and bureaucrats shouldn’t expect more money every year just because they’re on the taxpayer payroll.”
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation confirmed Simon’s current salary and the details of her latest pay raise with the Privy Council Office.
“For 2025, the Governor General’s salary, which is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Governor General’s Act … is $378,000,” a PCO spokesperson told the CTF.
The federal government hiked the governor general’s annual salary by $75,200 (or 25 per cent) since 2019.
Meanwhile, the average annual salary among all full-time workers in Canada was roughly $70,000 in 2024, according to Statistics Canada data.
“Canadians can’t afford to keep paying more for a largely symbolic role,” Terrazzano said. “The governor general already takes a huge taxpayer-funded salary and she should show leadership by refusing this year’s pay hike.”
On top of the $378,000 annual salary, the governor general receives a range of lucrative perks, including a taxpayer-funded mansion, a platinum pension, a clothing budget, paid dry cleaning services and lavish travel expenses.
Former governors general are eligible for a full pension, of about $150,000 a year, regardless of how long they serve in office.
Even though Simon’s predecessor, Julie Payette, served in the role for a little more than three years, she will receive an estimated $4.8 million if she collects her pension till the age of 90.
The CTF estimates that Canada’s five former governors general will receive more than $18 million if they collect their pensions until the age of 90.
Even after leaving office, former governors general can also expense taxpayers for up to $206,000 annually for the rest of their lives, continuing up to six months after their deaths.
In May 2023, the National Post reported the governor general can expense up to $130,000 in clothing during their five-year mandates, with a $60,000 cap during the first year.
Simon and Payette combined to expense $88,000 in clothing since 2017, including a velvet dress with silk lining, designer gloves, suits, shoes and scarves, among other items.
Rideau Hall expensed $117,000 in dry-cleaning services since 2018, despite having in-house staff responsible for laundry – an average dry cleaning tab of more than $1,800 per month.
In 2022, Simon’s first full year on the job, she spent $2.7 million on travel, according to government records obtained by the CTF.
Simon’s travel has sparked multiple controversies, including a $100,000 bill for in-flight catering during a weeklong trip to the Middle East, and her $71,000 bill at IceLimo Luxury Travel during a four-day trip to Iceland.
“Platinum pay and perks for the governor general should have been reined in a long time ago,” Terrazzano said. “The government should stop rubberstamping pay raises for the governor general every year, end the expense account for former governors general, reform the platinum pension, scrap the clothing allowance and cut all international travel except for meetings with the monarchy.”
Table: Annual Governor General Salary, per PCO data
|
Year |
GG Salary |
|
2019 |
$302,800 |
|
2020 |
$310,100 |
|
2021 |
$328,700 |
|
2022 |
$342,100 |
|
2023 |
$351,600 |
|
2024 |
$362,800 |
|
2025 |
$378,000 |
Automotive
Elon Musk Poised To Become World’s First Trillionaire After Shareholder Vote

From the Daily Caller News Foundation
At Tesla’s Austin headquarters, investors backed Musk’s 12-step plan that ties his potential trillion-dollar payout to a series of aggressive financial and operational milestones, including raising the company’s valuation from roughly $1.4 trillion to $8.5 trillion and selling one million humanoid robots within a decade. Musk hailed the outcome as a turning point for Tesla’s future.
“What we’re about to embark upon is not merely a new chapter of the future of Tesla but a whole new book,” Musk said, as The New York Times reported.
Dear Readers:
As a nonprofit, we are dependent on the generosity of our readers.
Please consider making a small donation of any amount here.
Thank you!
The decision cements investor confidence in Musk’s “moonshot” management style and reinforces the belief that Tesla’s success depends heavily on its founder and his leadership.
Tesla Annual meeting starting now
https://t.co/j1KHf3k6ch— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 6, 2025
“Those who claim the plan is ‘too large’ ignore the scale of ambition that has historically defined Tesla’s trajectory,” the Florida State Board of Administration said in a securities filing describing why it voted for Mr. Musk’s pay plan. “A company that went from near bankruptcy to global leadership in E.V.s and clean energy under similar frameworks has earned the right to use incentive models that reward moonshot performance.”
Investors like Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood defended Tesla’s decision, saying the plan aligns shareholder rewards with company performance.
“I do not understand why investors are voting against Elon’s pay package when they and their clients would benefit enormously if he and his incredible team meet such high goals,” Wood wrote on X.
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, Norges Bank Investment Management — one of Tesla’s largest shareholders — broke ranks, however, and voted against the pay plan, saying that the package was excessive.
“While we appreciate the significant value created under Mr. Musk’s visionary role, we are concerned about the total size of the award, dilution, and lack of mitigation of key person risk,” the firm said.
The vote comes months after Musk wrapped up his short-lived government role under President Donald Trump. In February, Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team sparked a firestorm when they announced plans to eliminate the U.S. Agency for International Development, drawing backlash from Democrats and prompting protests targeting Musk and his companies, including Tesla.
Back in May, Musk announced that his “scheduled time” leading DOGE had ended.
Business
Carney’s Deficit Numbers Deserve Scrutiny After Trudeau’s Forecasting Failures
From the Frontier Centre for Public Policy
By Conrad Eder
Frontier Centre for Public Policy study reveals a decade of inflated Liberal forecasts—a track record that casts a long shadow over Carney’s first budget
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy has released a major new study revealing that the Trudeau government’s federal budget forecasts from 2016 to 2025 were consistently inaccurate and biased — a record that casts serious doubt on the projections in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget.
Carney’s 2025–26 federal budget forecasts a $78.3-billion deficit — twice the size projected last year and four times what was forecast in Budget 2022. But if recent history is any guide, Canadians have good reason to question whether even this ballooning deficit reflects fiscal reality.
The 4,000-word study, Measuring Federal Budgetary Balance Forecasting Accuracy and Bias, by Frontier Centre policy analyst Conrad Eder, finds that forecast accuracy collapsed after the Trudeau government took office:
- Current-year forecasts were off by an average of $22.9 billion, or one per cent of GDP.
- Four-year forecasts missed the mark by an average of $94.4 billion, or four per cent of GDP.
- Long-term projections consistently overstated Canada’s fiscal health, showing a clear optimism bias.
Eder’s analysis shows that every three- and four-year forecast under Trudeau predicted a stronger financial position than what actually occurred, masking the true scale of deficits and debt accumulation. The study concludes that this reflects a systemic optimism bias, likely rooted in political incentives: short-term optics with no regard to long-term consequences.
“With Prime Minister Carney now setting Canada’s fiscal direction, it’s critical to assess his projections in light of this track record,” said Eder. “The pattern of bias and inaccuracy under previous Liberal governments gives reason to doubt the credibility of claims that deficits will shrink over time. Canadians deserve fiscal forecasts that are credible and transparent — not political messaging disguised as economic planning.”
The study warns that persistent optimism bias erodes fiscal accountability, weakens public trust and limits citizens’ ability to hold government to account — a threat to both economic sustainability and democratic transparency.
-
espionage23 hours agoU.S. Charges Three More Chinese Scholars in Wuhan Bio-Smuggling Case, Citing Pattern of Foreign Exploitation in American Research Labs
-
Daily Caller2 days agoUS Eating Canada’s Lunch While Liberals Stall – Trump Admin Announces Record-Shattering Energy Report
-
Business1 day agoU.S. Supreme Court frosty on Trump’s tariff power as world watches
-
Energy2 days agoEby should put up, shut up, or pay up
-
Justice1 day agoCarney government lets Supreme Court decision stand despite outrage over child porn ruling
-
Business13 hours agoHere’s what pundits and analysts get wrong about the Carney government’s first budget
-
Daily Caller1 day agoUN Chief Rages Against Dying Of Climate Alarm Light
-
Business2 days agoThe Liberal budget is a massive FAILURE: Former Liberal Cabinet Member Dan McTeague
