Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has not yet been validated in a federal election, took a wide-body government jet on a European networking tour shortly after being elected Liberal leader.
Canada’s Parliament is currently suspended at the behest of Justin Trudeau.
The trip cost hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time when millions of Canadians are living paycheque to paycheque.
Carney’s journey consumed approximately 242,250 litres of jet fuel — releasing about 612 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere — a stark contradiction given his net-zero preaching and readiness to impose eco-extremist policies on others.
Carney's personal worth is estimated to be in the millions.
Canada is grappling with an economic crisis stemming from a decade of mismanagement under Justin Trudeau, during which Mark Carney served as Trudeau’s economic advisor for periods of time.
The national debt has doubled. Yearly deficits are high.
Given the dire state of national finances — evidenced by surging food bank use and rising insolvencies — the Western Standard on Thursday criticized Carney for his trip, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron, King Charles III, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The trip was an affront to taxpayers, especially considering the urgent problems at home and Carney’s unelected status.
At a press conference in Edmonton, the Western Standard asked Carney if he would reimburse taxpayers for the trip, which included his wife, Diana Fox Carney.
Here is the exchange: