Payette’s resignation sheds light on generous retirement, expense account for ex-GGs

And she has the right to claim up to $ 206,000 a year for life and even six months later to cover expenses incurred as a result of ongoing responsibilities in relation to her former office.

The circumstances of Payette’s departure from an independent review that concluded she headed a toxic job where Rideau Hall staff were publicly shouted, humiliated and humiliated have highlighted the attention of generous support provided to former governors-general and raised questions about whether posting under a cloud should be convenient for him.

The pension is guaranteed under the Governor-General Act, which makes no distinction between someone who completes a five-year term without incident and someone who leaves early, for whatever reason.

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Philippe Lagass, a Carleton University professor who specializes in the roles of Parliament, Crown and executive in the Westminster states, said nothing stops Parliament from passing changes to the law. It can be changed, for example, to specify that in the future, the pension will be reduced or eliminated for someone who resigns prematurely or leaves amid the scandal.

But he suspects it could be changed retroactively to reduce Payette’s pension or remove it altogether.

“I’m not a lawyer … but I think she would have a very good chance if Parliament suddenly came in and went after her personally given that she got to work with him [pension]as a condition, and, frankly, in all likelihood it was probably not an insignificant part of her decision to leave, “Lagass said, adding that such a retroactive move would set” a terrible precedent “for anyone who accepts a federal appointment.

The pension was intended to ensure the independence of the office: Lagass

Before making any changes to the pension law, Lagass said careful attention should be paid to the reason former former governors are given such a generous annual pension.

“The pension is ultimately intended to ensure the independence of the office,” he said.

A governor-general can be called on occasionally to make tough decisions on whether to call elections or allow Parliament to drag on. The guarantee of a pension is intended to ensure that such decisions are not affected by concerns about how they may affect future employment.

“There should be no consideration in the mind of this person that, whether they go one way or another, it can help them with their income or livelihood or comfort after holding office,” Lagass said. .

Free government to change the expense account

The expenditure account is entirely within the competence of the government to change or scrap, as it sees fit. The support program for former governors-general was launched by a cabinet decision in 1979 and has continued, unchanged, to this day.

According to the 1979 cabinet minute, the program was created in recognition that even after they step down, “former governors-general take responsibility and are required to take action” as a result of their tenure.

“This is especially true in the early years as they leave office when they are actually in a period of transition between office responsibilities and their return to privacy.”

However, the cabinet chose to authorize the annual cost-of-living account and even further, agreeing to reimburse the expenses for the property of a former governor-general for six months after their death.

Former Governor-General Clarksondhe defended spending

The program became controversial a few years ago after Reported National Post that former Gov. Adrienne Clarkson had demanded more than $ 1 million in expenses since leaving Rideau Hall in 2005.

And that came to light only because she had claimed more than $ 100,000 a year, which required disclosure as an item in government public accounts.

Clarkson defended her spending, arguing that she attends dozens of public events, gives speeches and responds to 500 to 700 letters each year, all about her former role as governor general.

The controversy prompted former Gov. David Johnston to reveal that he had sought $ 76,650 in the first six months after leaving Rideau Hall in 2017, mainly to set up an office and hire an executive assistant. He remains the only former governor-general to publicly determine and disclose his expenses.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordered an independent review of the program, which was undertaken by councilor Alain Sguin, a former federal bureaucrat.

In his 2019 report, obtained from the Canadian Federation of Taxpayers through access to information legislation, Sguin said all of the expenditure claims he reviewed were well-prepared and detailed, and he “did not see any expenditure item that could to be considered unreasonable “.

The program has never been revised or modified: Sguin

Still, he criticized the lack of transparency and recommended that the request for separate expenditures be publicly reported every year.

“The key issues in this review stem from a 40-year program that has never been reviewed and has never been modified since its inception,” Sguin concluded.

“It has not been updated to reflect current public sector practices and public expectations regarding reporting and accountability.”

Sguin also recommended that attention be paid to the completion of the expense account after “a certain number of years than the current regime for life”.

He submitted his report in October 2019, but the government has not acted on it.

“Work continues to determine how best to ensure that the program continues to function effectively,” said Beatrice Fenelon, spokeswoman for the Privacy Council Office.