Simon’s office said the Canadian Armed Forces was responsible for the Governor-General’s flights during her working visits abroad and was “responsible for all decisions related to catering to those flights”. “The Governor-General shares the public concern about the costs and looks forward to further clarity from relevant departments such as the DND and the GAC,” Rideau Hall spokeswoman Natalie Babin Dufresne told CBC News. CBC News has asked the Canadian Ministry of National Defense and Global Affairs for an explanation and a detailed analysis of the catering account, but has not yet received a response. A recently published answer to an order question from Conservative MP Michael Barrett revealed the price of eight days’ travel for Simon and her delegation on a Royal Canadian Air Force plane. The cost of catering includes “the cost of food, non-alcoholic beverages and related charges, including handling and delivery of catering, storage, cleaning and disposal of international waste, airport taxes, administrative fees, security charges and local taxes,” the document said. . Britain’s Prince Charles shakes hands with Governor-General Mary Simon as he attends the Order of Military Investment Value on the second day of the 2022 Royal Canadian Tour in Ottawa on May 18, 2022. (Carlos Osorio) The answer to the order paper question says the $ 93,117.89 feed bill is related to a multi-stage trip that started March 16-24 in Canada, stopped in London to pick up Simon after her reunion with the Queen, and then transported to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait. The plane then stopped again in London before landing in Ottawa and then parked at the military base in Trenton, Ontario. Simon and 29 other people – including her staff, World Affairs staff and Canadian representatives – were on board, according to a document released to the House of Commons. This number does not include RCMP officers and aviation crew members who may also have eaten on the flights. Prime Minister Justin Trindade has asked Simon to travel to the Middle East to boost bilateral ties by meeting with Canadian ambassadors, heads of state and other senior leaders. Simon was also an honorary guest on Canada’s National Day at Expo 2020 in Dubai, which was delayed by two years due to the pandemic. Simon also met with members of the Canadian Armed Forces deployed in the area, and visited Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. “The Governor-General pays official and state visits abroad only at the request of the Prime Minister and in support of Canada’s international diplomatic goals,” wrote Babin Dufresne. Queen Elizabeth II welcomes the new Governor General of Canada Mary Simon and her husband Whit Fraser for tea at the Oak Room at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Tuesday 15 March 2022. (Steve Parsons / The Associated Press) For safety reasons, it is normal for the Commander-in-Chief to fly the CC-150 Polaris of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The trip was Simon’s second visit abroad since being appointed Queen’s envoy to Canada in July 2021. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who is in charge of democratic institutions, said he had no idea about the cost of catering and had no involvement in choosing the menus. “I have no idea about the context of these flights or how these things are done,” LeBlanc told CBC News on his way to the parliamentary group on Wednesday morning. Cultural Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said in French on Tuesday that the governor-general would have to explain the catering bill. The National Post first reported the cost of catering on Tuesday.
