Thank you.
Since we have the announcement of the new Governor General, I think it's great to speak to Mr. MacKillop, as he's the secretary to the GG.
Right now, Canadians are lining up at food banks. They're cutting groceries; they're struggling to keep a roof over their heads, and they're watching every dollar just to get through the month. When they hear about hundreds of millions of dollars having been spent on the Governor General of Canada over the last decade—tied to travel costs, former GG expenses, clothing purchases and speech writing, and now the reports of a Rideau Hall skating rink project—they're rightly asking about who's watching the taxpayers' money.
I don't think Canadians are even aware that former governors general can continue claiming expenses after leaving office. On top of their pension, they can claim up to $200,000 a year in expenses for life. Of course, with Mrs. Simon's retiring, we'll have five GGs able to pull on that.
Last year alone, more than $550,000 was billed through it by past GGs. Is that correct?