German Book Fair Expenses

Sent: March 23, 2023 10:24 AM To: info@gg.ca Cc: Julie.vignola@parl.gc.ca; tracy.gray@parl.gc.ca; pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca; justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca; Jagmeet.singh@parl.gc.ca; yves-francois.blanchet@parl.gc.ca; Subject: German Book Fair Expenses

Good morning Ms. Simon,

I wanted to commend you on your complete lack of awareness, empathy and ability to “read the room” with your recent $800,000 expenditure on a four-day Frankfurt Book Fair trip: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/governor-general-spends-800-000-on-german-book-fair-visit/article_a10d950a-c96c-11ed-8807-d7321c801206.html. Since you were there, you know you traveled with 32 guests, including 3 press aides and 2 official photographers. While there, you stayed at the five-star Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof Hotel and Berlin Ritz-Carlton. I did a quick Expedia search – the Steigenberger’s base rate starts at $525 per night, but I’m assuming given your bill that you didn’t book the cheap seats!

I see you were quoted as stating that “Our story is not just about ‘him’ or ‘her’ . . . [i]t’s also about ‘they’ and ‘them’”. I hate to tell you, but your story is not about him, her, they or them, at the amounts you expended on this trip. I’d suggest that, rather than pronouns, you should focus on adjectives. I’d suggest “elitist”, “Laurentian”, “gluttonous”, “exploitive”, “profiteering” and, of course, “straight-up fraudulent” would be the adjectives du jour. Of course, I’m not a poet laureate, so you may need to consult with your cronies on those.

I note that you are quoted as stating that your favourite memory from your childhood is lying in your family’s tent near the George River, lying on a bed of spruce boughs and caribou skins. What do you think that little girl would think of your recent behaviour?

Would she be proud of the way you have embraced opulence and turned your back on the values held close within your culture? Would she be happy that you spent $800,000 of taxpayer money on a four day vacation, when you could have encouraged our government to use those funds for clean water programs for the Indigenous? And what would she think of you acting so extravagantly with taxpayer funds, when millions of working Canadians (who paid those funds) are visiting food banks to make ends meet? No champagne brunches and high teas for the working poor – ugh, poverty is so offensive, amirite?

I’m starting to think that the role of Governor General within this country is even more reprehensible than that of Prime Minister; an impressive feat, indeed.

As the bible says, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man (or woman) to enter the kingdom of God.