Canadian taxpayers on the hook for ministers' Christmas video stunt
Late last year, Transport Canada produced a James Bond style Christmas video “clearing” Santa for Canadian Airspace that featured a collaboration between transportation minister Omar Alghabra and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
🎅🎄Santa, it’s time. Will my mission to authorize Santa in the Canadian airspace be successful? Watch to find out! pic.twitter.com/kNkyf2ElMK
— Omar Alghabra (@OmarAlghabra) December 23, 2022
It left Canadian taxpayers wondering: how much did this pet project cost?
We were able to crowdfund the expenses and file an Access to Information (ATIP) request to find out, through your generous donations at RebelInvestigates.com.
A handful of ministry employees filed overtime, mileage and parking expenses for the execution of the video, as per the documents we received back.
Communications Officer Paul Jeaurond billed 2.5 half hours of overtime on December 12.
On that same day, an email from Senior Communications Advisor Francis Rene asked Director for Digital Communications Anick Rainville, if she could “approve overtime for today?”
Apparently they “still needed to do some testing and get props ready.”
An extra pay summary for Communications Officer Timothy Smith showed three billed overtime hours between December 12 and 13.
Rene Francis billed $74 worth of extra expenses and listed “pick up equipment to film ministers video” under the explanatory details. It included a $24 parking fee, and two 45 kilometre trips to pick up and return home with the equipment needed at $27 a pop.
Likewise, Smith billed $55 worth of extra expenses which he detailed as “record Santa scene for the TC [Transport Canada] Christmas video.” He, too, billed a 45 kilometer trip from the video location to his home, there and back, at $27 a pop.
Finally, on December 16, Rene Francs was again billed the round trip to return the equipment and return home from dropping off the equipment, which cost $74 dollars in mileage charges including $20 parking.
None of the above mentioned employees disclosed what their hourly overtime rate was and did not detail anyone else involved in directing, filming, producing and/or otherwise responsible for the execution of the polished, published video.
Transport Canada has its own mini media company in-house that’s able to undertake a clip of this size.
Apparently props and equipment were free, too, as none of that was disclosed.
Meanwhile the 30-second-vaccine-propaganda ads published by the City of Toronto cost nearly $5,000 each.
Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam also put out a Christmas video that basically shilled for BigPharma and the endless injection campaign with beloved Christmas classic Ms. Claus.
Parents and Caregivers, I had a great chat with Mrs. Claus about things we can do to make this a happy and healthy holiday season. Here’s the scoop from the #NorthPole: pic.twitter.com/pgKY5NPEyV
— Dr. Theresa Tam (@CPHO_Canada) December 21, 2022
Tam warned Canadians that Christmas caroling was unsafe in 2021.
Christmas caroling is unsafe this year, says Dr. Theresa Tam:
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) November 15, 2021
“In the wintertime, going inside with a lot of people shouting and singing is not the best idea if COVID is circulating and accelerating outside your front door,” Tam told reporters.
Help us: https://t.co/oIPU6az6hO pic.twitter.com/zwCwriVyuA
The health overlord had previously cleared Santa as an “essential worker” in 2020.
Parents, #Santa and I had a call to discuss his #ChristmasEve plan, and don’t worry – he’s cleared as an essential worker in Canada.
— Dr. Theresa Tam (@CPHO_Canada) December 16, 2020
Santa also has a special message for all the kids out there. Watch it now: pic.twitter.com/3Wr2YOjmVs
