Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Easter vacation cost taxpayers more than $228,839, parliamentary filings show.
Two weeks prior to the final receipts being reported, the government claimed only $23,846 in spending on the trip, a discrepancy of over $200,000.
The vacation cost more than $228,839 when accounting for the expenses covered by the Canadian Armed Forces, the Privy Council Office, and the RCMP.
Conservative MP Luc Berthold filed a Question on the Order Paper in the House of Commons regarding the Montana trips expenditures, such as a breakdown of different expenses.
In their response, the government disclosed $23,846, which included spending by the Canadian Armed Forces and the Privy Council. The prior disclosure failed to report the $204,993 the RCMP spent on overtime and costs such as accommodations, meals, incidentals, and travel associated with the Prime Minister’s holiday.
Conservative Member of Parliament, Michael Barrett said that “Justin Trudeau charges another luxury getaway to Canadians who can’t afford to live.” Others are curious why there is such a discrepancy.
Trudeau’s plane touched down in Bozeman, Montana, on the evening of April 6, returning to Ottawa on the evening of April 10. In his filings with the Office of the Ethics Commissioner, Trudeau declared a “ground security motorcade” during a “private visit in Big Sky, Montana” as a gift from the U.S. Secret Service.
Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the U.S. Secret Service, said the Secret Service does not consider the motorcade a gift.
Despite the proximity of Bozeman to Big Sky Resort, a mere hour’s drive away, the Prime Minister’s office has chosen to remain quiet on several aspects of the trip. Where he stayed in Montana, whether he paid for his accommodations, whether he visited anyone, and who accompanied him there all remain unknown. Why the RCMP costs were not disclosed initially is also unknown.
Trudeau has faced scrutiny for his vacations in the past, with several incidents raising concerns about transparency and costs.
In a recent revelation, Trudeau and his family, along with staff and security, traveled to a luxurious Jamaican resort owned by the Green family. The Greens are donors to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, which raised questions about potential conflicts of interest.
In 2016, Trudeau’s trip to the Aga Khan’s private island in The Bahamas, which cost over $215,000 and led to ethics violations. Trudeau had claimed a close family friendship with the Aga Khan. Still, the Ethics Commissioner found otherwise, highlighting the $50 million funding the Aga Khan Foundation received from the Liberal government in 2016.
On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021, Trudeau and his family went on a holiday to Tofino, B.C., despite his office initially claiming he was in private meetings. The estimated total cost was just shy of $20,000.
Other costly vacations include visits to Costa Rica in 2019, costing nearly $200,000, and 2022.
All government expenditures, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s vacation costs, ultimately derive from taxpayer money.
