From the Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Author: Franco Terrazzano 

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

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).

From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

Liberal House leader Karina Gould told government-funded reporters to ‘scrutinize’ Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, who has repeatedly condemned government-funded media as being an arm of the Liberals.

The Liberal House Leader told government- funded media that it is their job to the scrutinize the Conservative Party.   

In a September 16 news conference, Government House leader Karina Gould directed mainstream media reporters to “scrutinize” Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, who has repeatedly condemned government-funded media as being an arm of the Liberals. 

“Make sure we are holding (Pierre Poilievre) to account, to ensure he faces the proper scrutiny, because as Canadians get closer and closer to an election he has to answer those tough questions,” Gould instructed.   

“Instead of answering legitimate questions from journalists – that’s his job – what does he do to journalists?” she questioned. “He attacks them. This is not something done by a responsible leader,” she asserted. 

Gould’s comments were in reference to Poilievre’s promise to defund the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) if elected prime minister. Poilievre is a long-time critic of government-funded media, especially the CBC.

Gould claimed that Poilievre’s suggestion would deny Canadians access to important information, ignoring the fact that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s new legislation blocked all access to news content on Facebook and Instagram.  

“When it comes to making sure that Canadians have access to good quality information in a time of incredible disinformation, what does he propose to do?” Gould questioned.  

“Defund the CBC. And all of you as journalists have experienced firsthand how he treats people who try to ask him tough questions, who try to have him face the scrutiny of what he puts forward,” she continued.   

“How does he react?” asked Gould. “As a bully, as someone who will not stand to scrutiny, who will not respond respectfully, not just to you as journalists but on the questions you’re asking on behalf of Canadians because your job is to get that information to Canadians. There is a reason why he doesn’t want Canadians to know what his true agenda is.”

Gould did not provide any examples of Poilievre refusing to answer or being disrespectful to reporters.   

While the reporters did not respond to her demands in the moment, mainstream media in Canada relies on government subsidies to stay afloat, and is often criticized for its left-wing bias. In fact, there have been multiple instances of the CBC pushing what appears to be ideological content, including the creating of pro-LGBT material for kids, tacitly endorsing the gender mutilation of children, promoting euthanasia, and even seeming to justify the burning of mostly Catholic churches throughout the country.

Despite this, beginning in 2019, Parliament changed the Income Tax Act to give yearly rebates of 25 percent for each news employee in cabinet-approved media outlets earning up to $55,000 a year, to a maximum of $13,750.   

The Canadian Heritage Department since admitted that the payouts are not even sufficient to keep legacy media outlets running, and recommended that the rebates be doubled to a maximum of $29,750 annually.    

Last November, Trudeau again announced increased payouts for legacy media outlets, payouts which coincide with the lead-up to the 2025 election. The subsidies are expected to cost taxpayers $129 million over the next five years.      

Similarly, Trudeau’s 2024 budget outlined $42 million in increased funding for the CBC for 2024-25.    

The $42 million to the CBC is in addition to massive media payouts which already make up roughly 70 percent of its operating budget, and total more than $1 billion annually.