Carney government spent nearly $1 million on in-flight catering in first year
Prime Minister Carney is facing backlash over his government's extravagant spending of taxpayer funds.
The Carney government spent nearly $963,000 on food and catering aboard government aircraft during the prime minister's first year in office, according to newly released documents from the Department of National Defence.
A response to Order Paper Question Q-1111, submitted by Conservative MP Scot Davidson, shows catering bills totaling $962,633.24 on official trips between March 2025 and March 2026.
The biggest catering bill came during a January 2026 trip that included stops in Vancouver, Beijing, Doha and Zurich, costing taxpayers $175,248.48. Another November 2025 trip to Greece, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Spain racked up $159,781.24 in catering costs alone.
Among the more eye-catching expenses were two relatively short trips to Washington, D.C.
A May 2025 visit carrying 64 passengers generated a catering bill of $21,158.60, while a second Washington trip in October 2025 cost $7,376.02 for food and beverages aboard the aircraft.
Other notable catering bills included:
- Rome, Italy (May 2025): $93,780.18
- Oslo and London (March 2026): $86,096.12
- Paris (January 2026): $74,661.48
- Asia-Pacific tour including Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea (October-November 2025): $74,986.89
- Australia, India and Japan tour (February-March 2026): $98,853.99
Despite the large price tags, National Defence said it could not provide details on what taxpayers were actually buying.
Officials acknowledged that records do not track specific menu items, quantities served, or per-item costs. In many cases, meals are reportedly prepared onboard using groceries purchased locally rather than through traditional catering contracts.
"Records do not capture meals and beverages by individual menu items," the department wrote. "Food-related costs are recorded as a total amount per flight."
The nearly $1 million catering bill comes on top of the substantial operating costs associated with the government's VIP aircraft fleet, which the prime minister is required to use for security reasons.
National Defence noted that some catering costs may later be partially reimbursed by travelling media delegations, though the figures disclosed to Parliament represent the gross amounts charged to taxpayers before any reconciliation.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Editor-in-Chief, Alberta Bureau Chief, member of the board of directors, and host of The Gunn Show at Rebel News. Sheila also serves as President of the Independent Press Gallery of Canada. A mother of three and longtime conservative activist, Sheila is the author of bestselling books, including her most recent release, Independence Blueprint: What Alberta Can Learn From Quebec.
https://mybook.to/sheila
