Governor General Mary Simon charged taxpayers more than $1,100 for shoes last year as part of a growing list of wardrobe expenses that MPs say shows contempt for public money.According to documents tabled in the Commons, Simon’s office billed $7,484 for footwear and apparel in 2024. The list included $1,117 shoes, an $875 blazer for “the wearing of national decorations and medals,” a $675 wool jacket “for official events” and a $165 silk camisole “for official events celebrating Canada.”Blacklock's Reporter said Simon has previously billed $37,698 for clothing, including high-end silk jackets, while also coming under fire for lavish spending on meals and travel at Rideau Hall. Members of the Commons government operations committee have repeatedly called on Rideau Hall to show restraint..“We are in dire need of more transparency and better stewardship of taxpayers’ money,” Conservative MPs wrote in a 2023 report, calling Simon’s expenses “egregious” and “unacceptable.” They pointed to earlier revelations that taxpayers covered “hundreds of dollars spent on limes and lemons to be used as garnishes for drinks.”The Bloc Québécois said the office itself was the problem, calling the Governor General “an honorary and colonialist position” that drains public funds. The Bloc urged the federal government to abolish it altogether.Scrutiny of Simon’s spending comes after outrage over her $1.17 million trip to Dubai in 2022, which included $93,118 for inflight catering. Officials at Rideau Hall initially insisted meals were standard airline fare, but MPs later revealed passengers dined on Beef Wellington, salmon, gourmet cakes and fine wines.The latest clothing expenses were disclosed following an inquiry by Conservative MP John Brassard, who asked for details on clothing allowances for senior office holders since January 2023. Only two ministers reported charges: $298 for the housing minister’s work boots and $161 for work boots purchased by the heritage minister.
