Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s three-day cabinet retreat in Hamilton last year cost taxpayers more than $305,000, according to access-to-information records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

This pushes the total cost for Trudeau’s three “affordability” retreats, held over the course of a single year from September 2022 to August 2023, north of $1 million. 

“Taxpayers can’t afford any more of Trudeau’s affordability retreats,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “Who in their right mind spends more than $1 million on ‘affordability’ retreats in one year while Canadians are struggling?”

Trudeau and his ministers descended on Hamilton, Ont., from Jan. 23-25, 2023, to tackle high inflation and the cost-of-living crunch facing Canadians. 

“[This] will be an important opportunity to build on our continued efforts to make life more affordable for the middle class and people working hard to join it,” Trudeau said in a written statement when the retreat was announced. 

The records obtained by the CTF show Trudeau and company spent $32,000 on “hospitality,” $20,000 on meals and incidentals, $50,000 on hotel rooms, $48,000 on meeting rooms, $26,000 on rental equipment and $71,000 on audio and visual services. 

Food purchases included $3,493 worth of pop and juice, $542 worth of potato chips, a $250 cheese board, $240 worth of cookies and a $220 pita chips and hummus spread, among other items. 

Costs for the retreat are expected to rise even higher, as the CTF only obtained records detailing expenses from the Privy Council Office. 

For comparison, during Trudeau’s August 2023 cabinet retreat to Prince Edward Island, the PCO racked up $328,000 in expenses, but the total bill came to $485,196 after accounting for spending by other departments. 

In the span of a year, Trudeau’s three “affordability” cabinet retreats cost taxpayers more than $1 million. 

The first retreat was held in Vancouver in September 2022 and cost taxpayers more than $275,000, according to documents obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter. Further cabinet expense disclosures uncovered by the National Post increased the cost of that retreat to $471,070.

Receipts obtained by the CTF show Trudeau and ministers expensed taxpayers for filet mignon, grilled Dijon salmon, ceviche, prawn ravioli and key lime pie during the retreat.

“It was really important for me to get that kind of direct fingertip feel of what is happening with the Canadian economy and what Canadians are feeling,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters in Vancouver. 

Then came the January 2023 retreat in Hamilton, followed by the August 2023 gathering in Prince Edward Island. 

In P.E.I., Trudeau and his ministers, alongside their support staff, racked up $485,196 in expenses, including $100,000 worth of hotel rooms and nearly $75,000 in general catering, meals and incidentals. 

“At the very least, maybe Trudeau should consider renaming his affordability retreats,” Terrazzano said.