Carney spent over $772K on in-flight catering and accommodations last year, records show
Prime Minister Mark Carney spent at least $300,000 on in-flight catering during his travels since taking office last March, plus at least another $472,000 when he got where he was going, records from Global Affairs Canada show.
The data comes in response to a question posed in October by Philip Lawrence, the Conservative member of Parliament from the Northumberland—Clarke riding in Ontario, east of Toronto. National Post has reached out to him for comment.
Lawrence asked: “With regard to the Prime Minister’s international travel from March 14, 2025, to the present: (a) what is the total expenditure on hotel accommodations for the Prime Minister and his entourage, broken down by trip and fiscal year; (b) what is the total cost of in-flight catering for the Prime Minister’s flights, broken down by trip and fiscal year; and (c) what are the names and addresses of the hotels where the Prime Minister has stayed, broken down by trip?”
Global Affairs listed accommodation costs for a half dozen trips between March and June last year. They included $39,415.12 in Paris, $36,288.10 in London, $48,358.50 in Washington DC, $133,372.60 in Rome/Vatican City, $141,069.33 in The Hague, and $73,789.64 in Brussels, for a total of $472,293.29.
It added that the names and addresses of the hotels where the prime minister stayed cannot be disclosed, for security reasons. In also noted that it could not disclose specific details as to the size of his entourage, which might reveal how many security personnel were assigned to protect him.
Since June, Carney has made an additional 15 international trips through the end of 2025, and four more this year to date, to Paris, Beijing, Doha, and Davos, Switzerland.
Global Affairs Canada said it is still processing expenses for the remaining visits and can’t provide accommodation costs. “Reporting expenses before processing is complete could result in inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete information,” it said.
The department also provided in-flight catering costs for nine trips between March and November. They ranged from $7,658.08 for a trip to Paris (Carney’s first international journey as prime minister) to $52,610.23 for a trip to London (his second). The total for all nine trips was $300,194.07, although Global Affairs noted that one amount — $685.33 for a trip to New York — was incomplete “as some invoices have yet to be received and/or reconciled within National Defence’s system of record.”
The department also noted: “In compliance with air safety regulations and to ensure the safety of members and crew, Royal Canadian Air Force flight stewards verify that catering services used meet Canadian food safety standards and that any food brought onto the flight is safe for consumption.”
It added: “Costs incurred for catering include the cost of food, non-alcoholic beverages, and associated fees, including catering handling and delivery, storage, cleaning and disposal of international waste, airport taxes, administrative fees, security charges, and local taxes.”
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.