During Governor General Mary Simon's four-day trip to Iceland last fall, taxpayers had to pay $71,000 for the “Icelimo Luxury Travel” expense..“The governor general spent more on fancy rides in four days than the average Canadian makes in a whole year,” said Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF). .“We’re not saying the governor-general should be hitchhiking, but surely she could have gotten around a small island for less than the price of a brand-new BMW.” .The cost of Simon's official plans showed that taxpayers had to pay over $1,000 for each hour her group stayed in the country, totalling 69.5 hours..Icelimo specializes in “genuine luxury travel life experiences … crafted with flair and finesse entirely around your dreams,” according to its website. .From Oct. 12 to 15, 2022, Simon visited Iceland to participate in the Arctic Circle Assembly. This event takes place every year at the Harpa Conference Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland's capital city..The Harpa Conference Hall is just a short distance from the Hotel Borg, where Simon and 15 others stayed. It's only about 700 meters away, which is less than a 10-minute walk..Through an Access to Information request, the CTF got government documents and receipts about the trip..The four-day trip ended up costing Canadian taxpayers a minimum of $298,000..Approximately $115,000 was used for booking hotels and covering the expenses of refreshments during the stay, and an additional $10,000 was spent on organizing a reception called the “Friends of Canada Reception.”.Part of the total expenses for the trip included $18,600 for a “pre-visit” conducted by an undisclosed number of staff members from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1, 2022. These staff members were responsible for preparing for Simon's arrival weeks later. The cost of the pre-visit also included a bill of $6,400 from Icelimo..Simon was accompanied by her husband, secretary, director of communications, strategic communications manager, two “aides-de-camp” and her official photographer..The money paid to Icelimo would have been enough to buy a 2012 Dodge Challenger limousine and still have some money left to get a 2011 Lincoln Town Car limousine..Other transportation options are available in Reykjavik, such as Pick Me Up and VIP Travel, which have cheaper fares..Simon and her group could have saved money on hotel costs by renting a nine-bedroom “farmhouse” on a large estate with a hot pool, about an hour away from the city. The governor general's team could have booked this beautiful place for over 40 days and nights at a lower cost for taxpayers..“It seems like Simon and her bureaucrats go out of their way to find the most expensive options,” Terrazzano said..“Maybe when Canadians can barely afford groceries, our government could ease up on the fancy rides, airplane food, hotels and international trips.”.Since being appointed governor general by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in July 2021, the Iceland trip was Simon's third time travelling to another country..In October 2021, Simon took a four-day trip with her husband and 31 other people to a German book fair. This trip cost taxpayers around $700,000..In March 2022, Simon went on a weeklong trip to the Middle East, which cost taxpayers approximately $1.3 million..Simon and her entourage spent a significant amount on in-flight catering during both trips. They spent $103,000 on the Germany trip and $99,000 on the Middle East trip..The CTF reviewed the receipts from the Middle East trip, which showed that Simon and her group ate beef Wellington and apple-stuffed pork tenderloin, normally found at fine dining restaurants..Although the governor general's Iceland trip did not lead to a catering bill in the six-figure range, a review of the receipts showed that someone charged taxpayers for a beef steak bourguignon with mashed potatoes, costing $602, followed by a dessert of mousse with crumble and strawberry sauce, costing $238..In February, Simon travelled to Finland to talk about climate change. However, the plane she flew on used almost 25,000 litres of jet fuel, which is the same amount of fuel needed to power 22 cars for a whole year.. “Clearly, Simon likes to jet around the world spending buckets of taxpayer cash, but what value are taxpayers getting out of all her fancy trips?” Terrazzano said. .“The feds need to rein in the cost of international trips and Simon’s budget.”.The Arctic Circle Assembly was created in 2013 to “facilitate dialogue and build relationships to address rapid changes in the Arctic,” according to its mission statement..Simon delivered a 15-minute speech and then answered questions for 10 minutes. The keynote address and the Q&A session were recorded and can be watched on YouTube.
