Gov. Gen. Mary Simon says media's portrayal of trip expenses was 'unfair' but changes could be in the works

Governor General Mary Si‐ mon says that while she thinks the way catering ex‐ penses for her trip to the Middle East in March were portrayed in the media was "unfair," a review is underway to minimize the cost of future voyages.

"I don't even know what the orders are for meals. But I do know one thing — our meals are not very extrava‐ gant on these trips. They're pretty much like airline meals and the way they were por‐ trayed in the media was pret‐ ty unfair, I thought," Simon said in an interview on CBC's The House airing Satur‐ day.

The National Post first re‐ ported on the cost of the Governor General's trip, dur‐ ing which she spent time in London, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait. The Department of National Defence (DND), which is re‐ sponsible for organizing cater‐ ing on official diplomatic flights, said the total catering cost for the eight-day trip was around $80,000.

Simon told host Catherine Cullen her office shares the concerns of Canadians re‐ garding the trip cost and is working with Global Affairs Canada and DND to reduce expenses in the future.

Last month, Stewart Wheeler, who serves as chief of protocol for Canada at Global Affairs Canada, said some elements of the flights were "problematic." MPs ex‐ pressed confusion about the cost and Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus said he want‐ ed to know if there were "ex‐ cesses."

Christine MacIn‐ tyre, deputy secretary to the Governor General, told MPs Rideau Hall was also sur‐ prised and concerned by the costs.

"The costs were really shocking to all of us," she said. "We had eggs. We had omelettes."

In a statement to CBC News, DND said an interdepartmental working group was being created to draft measures "in pursuit of the best possible value going for‐ ward." The department said catering costs are affect‐ ed by everything from ex‐ change rates and the location of stops, to the number and type of catering companies available.

Simon told The House that her internation‐ al travel was at the direction of the prime minister.

"I don't just pick up my suitcase and travel wherever I want," she said. "Every travel has to be very carefully planned. The objectives of the trip have to be very clearly de‐ fined."

Travel a necessary part of the job: Simon

Simon said she expects an‐ other parliamentary commit‐ tee meeting on the mat‐ ter and she hopes MPs can "continue to clear up what the misunderstanding is."

"I think there is a need for people to understand that, first of all, I don't take my job lightly, and secondly, I'd like to do it in the most conservative way that I can. But the amount of travel that we do is tremendous and it's a neces‐ sary part of the job," she said.

Simon said she had no role in the logistics of trip plan‐ ning but was focused on the purpose of her trip.

WATCH | Governor Gen‐ eral Mary Simon addresses trip expenses:

"I'm involved in discus‐ sions about world peace and Canada's role in world peace. And going into different coun‐ tries to talk with our partners on how we can work together to further our position on world peace is very important for Canada, as well as the world," she said. "So I take that responsibility very seri‐ ously."

The Governor General spoke to The House from Reykjavík, Ice‐ land, where she took part in the Arctic Circle Assembly, a gathering to discuss issues and challenges in the Arctic.

GG embraces multifaceted role

Simon said Russia's inva‐ sion of Ukraine posed a signif‐ icant risk to co-operation and progress in the Arctic. The Arc‐ tic Council, the leading inter‐ governmental forum on the region, is largely on pause be‐ cause Russia holds its chair‐ manship.

Russia's invasion poses "a risk to the world," Simon said.

Simon is Canada's first Indigenous Governor General. She was born in Kangiqsualujjuaq in northern Quebec.

"We've always understood amongst ourselves in the Arc‐ tic region that this is our homeland, and it should stay our homeland," she said. Si‐ mon also noted that while the Arctic is certainly seen as a strategic area, it's also impor‐ tant to recognize that for those who live there, peaceful collaboration and develop‐ ment is important.

Simon, who has long worked on Arctic issues, said collaboration in the region has progressed greatly over the past several decades and has embraced a greater acceptance of the role played by Indigenous people.

"You know you can see that that change, but the change has to be embraced in a way where we're not just talking about the role of peo‐ ple, but actually involving them in the discussions and in the decision-making process of how the Arctic is being affected by different is‐ sues," she said.

While she said she stays apolitical, Simon added she is able to using her "convening power" to spur conversations with the prime minister and others to share her advice.

Simon said that she's guid‐ ed by her background as a northerner, her role as Gover‐ nor General and her commit‐ ment to addressing reconcilia‐ tion, describing her role as "multi-level."

"I'm very involved in that work and I stay very focused on my mandate, but my past is always guiding me."