Governor General Mary Simon’s taxpayer-funded salary has climbed to $393,800 in 2026, following another automatic pay hike — despite Canadians struggling with soaring food and housing costs.

The Privy Council Office confirmed the increase to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, explaining that the raise is mandated under the Governor General’s Act, which guarantees annual salary increases by law.

Simon’s pay rose by $15,800 this year alone and has increased by $91,000 since 2019. This marks her fifth automatic raise since taking office.

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Meanwhile, the average Canadian earns about $75,000 a year, according to Statistics Canada — meaning the governor general now makes more than five times what most Canadians take home.

“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, Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Her raise is almost enough to cover a Canadian family’s grocery bill for a year.”

The governor general is not alone in receiving automatic pay hikes. MPs and senators also receive yearly increases, and government unions have cited those raises as justification for demanding higher pay for bureaucrats.

According to Public Accounts data, the federal bureaucracy cost taxpayers $71.4 billion in 2024–25, an increase of 80 per cent over the past decade.

Ottawa’s finances are also deteriorating. Federal debt is projected to hit $1.35 trillion this year, with interest payments exceeding both federal health transfers to provinces and GST revenues.

Governor General Mary Simon takes another pay raise.

Simon’s taxpayer-funded salary is now $393,800.

This year’s raise was $15,800.

Is any politician going to put an end to the automatic pay raises in Ottawa?https://t.co/rXIZ0Bs2gB pic.twitter.com/aJSpqe5H19

— Franco Terrazzano (@franco_nomics) January 29, 2026

Beyond salary, Simon also receives a long list of taxpayer-funded perks, including a government mansion, dry cleaning, travel, and a $130,000 clothing allowance over her five-year term.

Expense records show she billed taxpayers $2,510 for luxury wool suits, $1,500 for a sealskin chest piece, $1,117 for six pairs of shoes, and $330 for silk camisoles. She has also faced criticism for lavish travel costs, including $100,000 for in-flight catering on a Middle East trip and $71,000 in limousine services during a four-day visit to Iceland.

Former governors general are also eligible for a $150,000 annual pension and a lifetime expense account worth up to $206,000 per year, even if they do not complete a full term.

“The entitlement culture in Ottawa is an insult to taxpayers,” Terrazzano said. “If politicians want to show they understand the pressure on ordinary Canadians, they need to end automatic pay raises for political elites.”