Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be offering up his thoughts on affordability – to those who can afford to pay $1,725.
The Liberals are hosting a fundraising dinner, titled “An Evening with Justin Trudeau,” at The Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto Friday evening.
The event promises attendees a unique opportunity to engage with Trudeau alongside MPs Charles Sousa and Terry Duguid, as they discuss the next steps in the Liberal plan to address the cost of living.
Ticket prices were set at $1725 for regular admission, with a reduced rate of $875 for youth aged 35 and under. $1725 is the maximum allowable political contribution per year in Canada.
This isn’t the first time Trudeau has faced backlash for costly events framed under the guise of addressing economic concerns.
Last year’s three-day cabinet retreat held in Hamilton came under scrutiny for its hefty price tag, totalling over $305,000. This brought the combined cost of three federal government “affordability” retreats to over $1 million in a single year.
Documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation via an access to information request revealed a breakdown of expenses from the Hamilton retreat.
Among the expenditures were $32,000 allocated for hospitality, $20,000 for meals and incidentals, and $50,000 for hotel accommodations.
Additionally, meeting rooms were booked at a cost of $48,000, with an additional $26,000 spent on rental equipment and $71,000 for audiovisual services.
Food expenses during the retreat drew particular attention, with $3,493 spent on soft drinks and juice, $542 on potato chips, $250 on a cheese board, $240 on cookies, and $220 on pita chips and hummus spread.
