A Canadian Taxpayers Federation investigation has revealed that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s two-day cabinet retreat in Toronto cost taxpayers more than $532,000, a price tag that surpasses even Justin Trudeau’s famously costly cabinet meetings.

“If you’re spending thousands of dollars more than Trudeau on meetings, you’re spending too much money,” said CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano. “It’s going to be hard for politicians to explain to taxpayers why all of the meeting rooms in Ottawa weren’t good enough.”

Government records, provided through an Order Paper Question and reviewed by the CTF, show the September retreat was held at the Pan Pacific Toronto, a hotel that openly calls itself a luxury venue.

Go Ad Free

Here’s what the Privy Council Office billed taxpayers:

• $250,400 for the venue and “hospitality”

• $78,700 for audiovisual services

• $40,000 for security

• $8,073 for shipping

• Another $38,300 for accommodations, meals and transportation

And the spending isn’t done yet. The PCO noted these numbers only include expenses processed as of Sept. 23, meaning more invoices may still land.

Other departments contributed $57,400 in costs, mostly transportation, although some ministers expensed extra meals and hotel rooms. The RCMP added $29,000 in security expenses, while the Translation Bureau billed $30,600 for travel and interpretation.

The CTF comparison makes the spending look even worse:

• Trudeau’s 2023 cabinet retreat in Charlottetown: $485,196, about $26,000 less than Carney’s, inflation-adjusted.

• Trudeau’s 2022 Vancouver retreat: $471,070, still $25,000 less in today’s dollars.

“Carney told Canadians he was going to cut waste and he should start by not dropping half a million bucks on meetings,” said Terrazzano. “We need a culture change in Ottawa and that needs to start with the prime minister and ministers respecting taxpayers’ hard-earned money.”