Mark Carney Liberal cabinet retreat cost taxpayers $532,000

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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney’s two-day cabinet retreat cost thousands more than similar retreats organized by his predecessor, new documents revealed.

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According to a response to an order paper question filed by Conservative MP Kerry Diotte, the pre-session cabinet confab — held this year at the Pan Pacific Toronto in York Mills — cost taxpayers $532,372.24.

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That’s more than two recent cabinet retreats organized by former prime minister Justin Trudeau — his 2023 retreat in Charlottetown, P.E.I., cost $485,196, while the one held in 2022 in Vancouver cost $471,070.

“If you’re spending thousands of dollars more than Trudeau on meetings, you’re spending too much money,” said Franco Terrazzano, the federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“It’s going to be hard for politicians to explain to taxpayers why all of the meeting rooms in Ottawa weren’t good enough.”

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Variety of agencies, departments spent money on cabinet planning forum

Booking the venue for this year’s cabinet planning forum cost the Privy Council Office $250,402.35 — with accommodations at $18,446.41, $6,696.37 for airfare, $8,176.90 for meals and incidentals and $4,985.32 for other transportation.

As well, $78,774.14 was paid to Newmarket A/V rental house Duoson Multimedia, $39,870.13 to Commissionaires for security and $8,072.72 for shipping costs.

Flying the prime minister one way from Ottawa to Toronto on Sept. 4 — plus the plane’s empty return flight to Ottawa — cost $3,015.05 for 2,267.7 litres of fuel.

A wide variety of government agencies and departments spent money to facilitate the event — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada spent $4,798.03, including $3,558.19 on airfare to Toronto for the minister and their chief of staff, as well as meals, taxi and hotel accommodations for the pair.

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Some departments not forthcoming with info

Employment and Social Development Canada spent $16,994.11 — more than most other departments — but provided no details on how that money was spent.

The RCMP spent $28,927 on the cabinet planning forum, but likewise declined to provide a breakdown due to security concerns.

Interpretation services were provided by the Translation Bureau — an agency of Public Services and Procurement Canada —  costing $30,622, including $8,663 in travel expenses, $11,226 for interpretation services and $10,734 for travel time, based on the employee group’s hourly rate.

Government translators are paid a set per diem for travel.

The Treasury Board of Canada secretariat paid $2,870.85 in travel expenses for Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali, while Health Canada paid $4,529 so Health Minister Marjorie Michel and her chief of staff could attend the retreat.

“Carney told Canadians he was going to cut waste and he should start by not dropping half a million bucks on meetings,” Terrazzano said.

“We need a culture change in Ottawa and that needs to start with the prime minister and ministers respecting taxpayers’ hard-earned money.”

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
X: @bryanpassifiume

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