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Former Govenor General Adrienne Clarkson Billed Government For $1.1 Million Since Leaving Job


DonLever

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From Huffington Post:

 

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that the government will review a program that allows former governors general to regularly file six-figure expenses.

Trudeau reacted to a National Post report that former governor general Adrienne Clarkson has claimed more than $1.1 million in office expenses since she left the position in 2005. The program has existed since 1979 and Clarkson has billed the government more than $100,000 in expenses in nine fiscal years, according to the report.

"We're going to take a look at what best practices could be in terms of supporting people who've served Canada in the viceregal capacity," Trudeau said.

 

"These are people who've stepped up and offered a tremendous service to the country, but Canadians expect a certain level of transparency and accountability and we're going to make sure that we're moving forward in a thoughtful way."

 

The program allows former governors general to bill the government for administrative support related to their previous role. On top of the expenses, Clarkson also receives a government pension.

It's an amount that's significant considering the salary Clarkson collected during her last year in office was $137,500 tax-free. It's unclear what most of the expenses was spent on.

HuffPost Canada has reached out to Clarkson for comment.

 

A former journalist, Clarkson was appointed by Jean Chretien in 1999. Her spending habits repeatedly raised eyebrows when she was a Rideau Hall and after.

 

Her post-Rideau Hall six-figure expenses for administration costs first began to raise flags in 2011. A Rideau Hall spokeswoman told the Toronto Star at the time that "actual and reasonable expenses of secretarial and temporary help services are reimbursed to former governors general."

Speaking gigs and opportunities to participate in charitable ventures often follow former governor generals after they leave office.

 

Her 2004 tour of Russia, Iceland, and Finland became a topic of debate in the House of Commons after costs for Clarkson and her delegation of 59 people jumped from $1 million to $5.3 million. The trip's purpose was to promote Canadian culture in the three countries.

 

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, Honeydew said:

Wow $5.3 million dollar trip to promote Canadian culture in three countries? You've gotta be kidding me. 

Now translate that to 2018 money and she spent nearly $7 million CAD.   If she wanted to spread Canadian culture, she could have saved some cash by sending a maple syrup covered beaver holding a plate of poutine riding a moose led by a mountie to each country. :P

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1 hour ago, SabreFan1 said:

Now translate that to 2018 money and she spent nearly $7 million CAD.   If she wanted to spread Canadian culture, she could have saved some cash by sending a maple syrup covered beaver holding a plate of poutine riding a moose led by a mountie to each country. :P

@SabreFan1, you should know better.  That's not what our culture is all about.  Sure, it's our average Friday night, but not what we stand for!

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Any relation to David Clarkson?:P

 

7 hours ago, DonLever said:

"These are people who've stepped up and offered a tremendous service to the country, but Canadians expect a certain level of transparency and accountability and we're going to make sure that we're moving forward in a thoughtful way."

She really stepped up.

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Heard this story yesterday, apparently a former GG who has been gone for 34 years still bills the tax payers. It gets worse unless the billing is over 100,000 no one hears about it.

 

We shouldn't even have a GG nor should we give money to the monarchy and we shouldn't be part of the commonwealth.

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This country needs to leave the commonwealth in the worst possible way. Positions like the governor general are pointless and have no value to the average Canadian. That parasite Adrienne Clarkson has stolen enough from the average Canadian in her elitist tenure. 

 

Allowing former governmental employees to leech off of government coffers after they have left their position is insulting to the populace and should be discontinued immediately.   

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19 minutes ago, Ryan Strome said:

Heard this story yesterday, apparently a former GG who has been gone for 34 years still bills the tax payers. It gets worse unless the billing is over 100,000 no one hears about it.

 

We shouldn't even have a GG nor should we give money to the monarchy and we shouldn't be part of the commonwealth.

If Ireland was able to do it when they were under direct British rule, we should be able to do it now. There is no point, outside of some misguided and nostalgic ideal, to remain in a pointless commonwealth. I love Britain as a country and all the wonderful culture, music, and arts that have come from there, but I hate the monarchy and it's antiquated uselessness. 

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5 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

If Ireland was able to do it when they were under direct British rule, we should be able to do it now. There is no point, outside of some misguided and nostalgic ideal, to remain in a pointless commonwealth. I love Britain as a country and all the wonderful culture, music, and arts that have come from there, but I hate the monarchy and it's antiquated uselessness. 

Canada could easily do it and it will likely get done in 10 to 20 years but as of now there is still to many older folks that support it. While in opposition the liberals held a party vote on scrapping the monarchy and if passed would have been party policy. Unfortunately it was defeated but I'm certain in the future people will push our governments to get out of it.

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1 minute ago, Ryan Strome said:

Canada could easily do it and it will likely get done in 10 to 20 years but as of now there is still to many older folks that support it. While in opposition the liberals held a party vote on scrapping the monarchy and if passed would have been party policy. Unfortunately it was defeated but I'm certain in the future people will push our governments to get out of it.

I certainly hope it comes up again for debate and decision. It's high time Canada leave these tired and pointless institutions in the dust.

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3 minutes ago, Ryan Strome said:

I mean look where the GG lives. On the backs of the tax payers. What a waste of money.

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Truly wasteful. It's the same pretension, pomp, and circumstance that the royal (pain in the ass) family demand. There is no reason for Canadians to support this type of lavish opulence, when there are people struggling to get by all over the country.

 

The governor general and their cronies should be summarily evicted and less fortunate people should be given the free room and board.

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Surprise! Politicians waste money. 

Happens to every government regardless of political stripe. 

Maybe if failure standards were brought in. Or Politicians were paid partly in Savings Bonds. That way the better the country does, the more their bonds go up in value. 

Politicians think of what will the news say next week. They never look at the long term. 

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It's true that a lot of these positions are needlessly expensive, but Clarkson is pretty much legendary for excess. I remember one of the Canadian skit comedies (This Hour has 22 minutes, or Kids In the Hall) used to mock her on a regular basis.

 

The running gag was a guy dressed up as AC and saying "I'm Adrienne Clarkson and you're not!", while tossing a feather boa over his/her shoulder.

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5 hours ago, SabreFan1 said:

Now translate that to 2018 money and she spent nearly $7 million CAD.   If she wanted to spread Canadian culture, she could have saved some cash by sending a maple syrup covered beaver holding a plate of poutine riding a moose led by a mountie to each country. :P

which would be awesome. 

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