David Johnston has spent $76K in 6 months since leaving Rideau Hall

Former governor general David Johnston has billed taxpayers more than $76,000 in the first six months since leaving Rideau Hall.

He voluntarily released his expenses online Tuesday morning as his predecessor Adrienne Clarkson continued to face scrutiny on her spending since leaving the post more than a decade ago.

Former vice-regals are entitled to a lifetime of public funding for office and travel expenses through the former governors general program.

According to a statement posted on his website, Johnston, who was governor general from October 2010 until last year, spent $76,650 between Oct. 2, 2017, his first day out of office, and March 31, 2018 — the end of the last fiscal year.

He's billed close to $14,000 for travel, accommodation and meals, about $54,000 on office support, mainly for an executive assistant, and $8,274 for office supplies and miscellaneous costs.

About $30,000 of the total bill was chalked up to "one-time start-up and transition costs."

"Accountability and transparency in expenditure of public funds are important elements in our public institutions, and I will follow the practice of filing this report annually and answer any questions that are raised as completely as I can," Johnston wrote in a statement.

Trudeau looking at 'best practices' 

When a former governor general bills the government more $100,000 in a year, their name is included in an annual report to Parliament.

Clarkson, who left Rideau Hall in early 2005, has billed taxpayers more than that threshold nine times in the 13 years since, totalling more than $1 million.

Backlash to her 2017-2018 spending, reported last month by the National Post, prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to call for more accountable spending.

Trudeau said the federal government will review the program to determine "best practices" for supporting former governors general.

Johnston has not commented directly on Clarkson's spending.

With files from The Canadian Press.