Evidence of meeting #44 for Finance in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was airports.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karina Gould
We're going to have to continue now with Ms. Cobena for five minutes.
Conservative
Sandra Cobena Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Minister, the Prime Minister, as you know, racked up about $200,000 on inflight catering over three trips. Of course, we are now in the context of a recession where every dollar taken from taxpayers is to be respected, and they expect that.
Could you please confirm how much the food costs, on average, when the Prime Minister is travelling?
Liberal
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
I have no idea. It's whatever the government regulations are when the Prime Minister travels, just as if we were carrying troops to a mission overseas. There are guidelines for those things. Those guidelines are rigidly followed.
Conservative
Sandra Cobena Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON
There is no knowledge or guidelines in terms of how much the Prime Minister and his entourage are spending on each of these trips. There are a lot of trips, and I'm sure you can understand, with an affordability crisis, this is—
Liberal
Conservative
Sandra Cobena Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON
I am asking a question about the cost, not the travel. I'm asking about the cost, so could you—
Liberal
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
I'm a little more focused on the revenue side. What I can say is that when the Prime Minister comes back, he always speaks to me about some possibilities for foreign investment in businesses, in technology and in innovation. I'm more keenly interested in foreign investment in infrastructure. Those efforts were rewarded—
Conservative
Liberal
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
I think this is an important fact for you. Those efforts were rewarded—
Conservative
Liberal
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
Canada was recently named the number one destination in the world for foreign investment in our infrastructure—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karina Gould
Minister and Ms. Cobena, I'm going to have to ask both of you to pause for a moment.
Liberal
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
That was a very good achievement and I link that directly to the Prime Minister.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karina Gould
Minister, I'm going to ask you to pause for a moment.
Ms. Cobena, please ask your question.
Conservative
Sandra Cobena Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Minister, I have five minutes to ask you questions and you're talking over me. I would like to ask you some simple questions and get some answers.
I understand your point, but what you are saying to me is that the Prime Minister needs luxury dinners and $200,000 of spending on food for his trips to do his job. That is my question.
Liberal
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
That isn't a question. That's an assertion. What I will tell you—
Liberal
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
The Prime Minister follows the same rules that we would apply to anyone. In some cases those airplanes carry Canadian Forces troops abroad. I'm sure you don't think they should not be fed if travel is during a mealtime.
There are guidelines for those things. If you're interested in how these things are run, I would point you to those guidelines. Maybe you could suggest how they should be changed, if they should be changed.
Conservative
Sandra Cobena Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON
The question is raised because even when you compare it to your own previous prime minister, it's double the cost. That's why this is a concern.
Liberal
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
Here's what I know. When the Prime Minister returns from a trip, even one that's as quick as this one to New York, he speaks to me of business development, of jobs for Canadians, of creating opportunity in our regions, of developing new mines and resources, and of building the country.
This Prime Minister is proving to be an incredibly effective salesperson for Canada, making us number one in many charts in terms of business and foreign investment intentions.