The Canadian government spent almost $500,000 throwing gaudy galas to bestow bureaucrats with expensive awards over the past decade, according to documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF). With these galas, the CTF said Canadians were stuck with a bill for $476,000 from 2012 to 2022. “It’s time to end Ottawa’s party with taxpayers’ cash,” said CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano in a Monday blog post. “The appropriate trophies would be big golden pigs.”The Public Service Award of Excellence was launched in 2005 with 14 award categories to recognize Canadian public servants who demonstrate excellence in achieving results for people. However, the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) said in a report in 2023 less than half of Canadian government department targets are met each year. The CTF went on to say the combined spending on the Public Service Award of Excellence galas in the past two years came to $118,000, with about $80,000 going towards the custom trophies. In 2022, the Canadian government dropped $37,243 on the Public Service Award of Excellence, describing the trophies for winners as plaques in bevelled black glass featuring clear crystal overlays with silver standoffs and personalized inscriptions etched and filled with silver. It said the Canadian government expensed mileage and parking for 165 local employees, who had to drive into downtown Ottawa for the party. In 2021, the CTF said the party was held virtually over three days, with the Canadian government spending $20,000 on the development of an online platform and the full event production. It added a speechwriter was hired for $2,000, and the trophies cost $15,000. The Canadian government described the trophies that year as stone art with blown glass mounted on crystal bases, COVID-19 hero coins and black hexagon towers cast in stone. Terrazzano said it is “nice that bureaucrats are able to find time to blow tens of thousands of dollars on award shows for themselves while the Canadians who pay their salaries can’t afford ground beef.” He added Canadians staring down their growing bills have every right to be furious about the government’s glitzy galas. In 2019, the Canadian government dropped $23,000 on the gala, which included a red carpet and a proposed menu featuring charcuterie, cured Arctic char, smoked and candied salmon, smoked trout, pork terrine and duck prosciutto. The records obtained by the CTF do not include menu options for other years. A photographer was hired in 2019 so bureaucrats could experience a flashy photoshoot. The Canadian government said the trophies were custom imported medallions with gold finishes and presented in black velvet boxes with engravings on the back. Spending on trophies for winners has totalled $242,909 since 2012. The highest spending on record for the award gala came in 2012 when it dropped $195,000 on it. A Canadian government spokesperson said from 2005 to 2011, the cost of the parties was in line with 2012. In 2013, the government stopped hosting the parties at a rented ballroom, moving the festivities to Rideau Hall to lower costs. Terrazzano concluded by saying no matter “screams fiscal responsibility like spending thousands every year awarding bureaucrats that can’t meet their own performance targets.”“The government is more than $1 trillion in debt, so Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must do the right thing and end these expensive bureaucrat award shows,” he said. Records published on Wednesday show the size of the Canadian public service has reached an historic high this year — up 6.5% per year and 40% higher than 2015 when Trudeau took office. READ MORE: Federal public service budget up 40.4% since Trudeau took office, but service doesn't improveThe Public Service Commission of Canada (PSCC) confirmed there are now 274,219 people employed by it. Statistics from the Treasury Board of Canada from 2023 show departments and agencies not included in the PSCC numbers, such as contractors and external employees, increased by 39% for a grand total of 357,247 people. This total was another record, despite the Liberals pledging in 2023 to use fewer outside consultants.
