Governor General Mary Simon’s pay is automatically increasing by $1,317 per month even though her salary was already about five times more than the average Canadian’s annual wage.

“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,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “The governor general was already costing taxpayers too much money and Simon’s latest pay raise is almost enough to cover a Canadian family’s entire grocery bill for a year.”

The Privy Council Office confirmed to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation that “the governor general’s salary for 2026 is $393,800, which is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Governor General’s Act.”

What that means is the governor general is entitled to an automatic pay raise every year by law. This is Simon’s fifth automatic pay raise since taking office.

Simon’s salary increased by $15,800 in 2026. The salary for the role of the governor general ballooned by $91,000 since 2019.

Meanwhile, the average Canadian makes about $75,000 a year, according to Statistics Canada data.

But it’s not just the governor general that takes an automatic pay raise each year. Virtually everyone in government gets one.

MPs from all parties take automatic pay hikes every year. Senators also take automatic pay hikes every year.

In fact, government union bosses pointed to “the yearly salary increases of senators and members of Parliament,” as a reason bureaucrats should take more money from taxpayers too, according to a report obtained by the CTF.

The federal bureaucracy cost taxpayers $71.4 billion in 2024-25, according to the Public Accounts. The cost of the federal bureaucracy increased 80 per cent in 10 years.

These automatic, government-wide pay hikes are continuing despite rapidly worsening federal finances.

The government’s spending continues to rise and its debt will reach $1.35 trillion this year. The government will waste more money paying interest charges on the debt this year than it sends to the provinces in health-care transfers or collects through the GST.

“The entitlement culture in Ottawa is an insult to taxpayers and politicians and bureaucrats shouldn’t expect more money every year just because they’re on the taxpayer payroll,” Terrazzano said. “Taxpayers demand a culture change in Ottawa and that means the government needs to stop rubberstamping pay raises for the governor general, politicians and bureaucrats.”

On top of the $393,800 annual salary, the governor general takes advantage of a range of lucrative perks, including a taxpayer-funded mansion, a clothing budget, paid dry cleaning services and lavish travel expenses.

The governor general has a $130,000 clothing allowance during their five-year mandate.

That means the governor general can spend more on shopping sprees than an average Canadians spends on rent in five years.

Simon billed taxpayers $2,510 for luxury wool suits, $1,500 for a “sealskin chest piece,” $1,117 on six pairs of shoes and thousands more on a blazer, coat, dress and other clothing items. She even billed taxpayers $330 for two silk camisoles, which are undergarments.

Simon has also sparked multiple controversies for spending millions on travel. Her extravagant trips include a $100,000 bill for in-flight catering during a weeklong trip to the Middle East and a $71,000 bill for limo services during a four-day trip to Iceland.

Governors general also get a platinum pension and a lifetime expense account, even if they fail to serve a full term in office.

Governors general are eligible for a full pension of about $150,000 a year. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation estimates that 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 expense taxpayers for up to $206,000 annually for the rest of their lives, continuing up to six months after their deaths.

“The governor general’s platinum pay and perks should’ve been reined in a long time ago,” Terrazzano said. “If politicians want to prove they understand the struggles facing normal Canadians, then they must put an end to the automatic pay raise culture in Ottawa.” 

Table: Annual Governor General salary, per PCO data