The Trudeau government blew more than $2.7 million on high-profile film and music festivals around the world, where they made taxpayer cash rain throwing expensive parties. 

All that spending occurred for events that took place during a 16-month period, between January 2023 and May 2024, according to government records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. 

Bureaucrats attended the Oscars, the Cannes Film Festival in France, the Berlinale film festival in Germany, and the South by Southwest music and film festivals in Austin, Texas and Australia – all on the taxpayer dime. 

“Government bureaucrats spent $175,000 a month partying it up at international film and music festivals,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “In what world does it make sense for bureaucrats to blow millions of taxpayer dollars on festivals when the government is more than a trillion dollars in debt and record numbers of Canadians are lining up at food banks?”

During South by Southwest festivals, bureaucrats spent $35,000 on plant and furniture rentals for a “Canada House” event, as well as $5,000 on “DJ services” and “animation services.” 

An additional $15,000 was spent on a “social media champion” for the Canada House. Food and drink catering costs for a reception, as well as an “opening party” came to $11,700. 

The 2023 South by Southwest festival in Australia also had a “Canada House,” with costs totalling at least $97,000. Bureaucrats also expensed $17,000 for an “event coordinator.”

At the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in France, bureaucrats spent $9,930 on “umbrella stand coordinator services.”

During the Berlinale festival, the rental fee for a “Canada Pavilion” came to $74,000.

Additional expenses at the festivals included professional photographers and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on decoration services. 

“Maybe government bureaucrats should figure out how to do basic things, like answering taxpayers’ phone calls, before trying to DJ international parties,” Terrazzano said. “Taxpayers are giving this international film festival party junket two big thumbs down.”

The spending happened at the ministries of Global Affairs Canada and Canadian Heritage, with money also spent by the National Film Board. 

All told, the cost to taxpayers came in at $2,798,719, according to the records. The events all occurred during a 16-month period. That means the average spending on the festivals was $174,919 per month. 

The government has already earmarked spending for future film and music festivals, with bureaucrats indicating the “plan is to continue to support Canadian talent at these world-class markets,” according to the records. 

The details were released in response to an order paper question submitted by Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner (Calgary Nose Hill).