The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) launched a legal challenge with the Office of the Information Commissioner to get the federal government to admit who stayed in the $6,000 per night hotel suite during Queen Elizabeth II's funeral..While the CTF filed an access-to-information request for documents to determine who stayed in the luxury suite during the state visit to the United Kingdom, the government wrote down and then redacted the name of the individual in its response. As justification, they cited security concerns and a clause in the Access to Information Act that prohibits the release of personal information..“As a matter of principle, the government owes taxpayers transparency,” said Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the CTF..“Taxpayers paid the bills, and we deserve to know who wasted our money staying in the $6,000-per-night hotel room.”.Canada sent a large delegation to the Queen's state funeral in September 2022, which included Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family, Governor General Mary Simon, four former prime ministers, two former governors general and three First Nations leaders..The delegation spent nearly $400,000 in hotel room costs alone, including the $6,000-per-night "River Suite" room at the Corinthia Hotel. That hotel has been described as “one of the top luxury hotels in central London.".The federal government has refused to disclose who stayed in the hotel room, despite repeated questioning from opposition MPs and journalists. But Governor Mary Simon confirmed she was not the one who stayed in the suite..The Toronto Sun recently reported bureaucrats in Global Affairs drafted responses to media requests on the subject, but were ordered not to respond by staff in Global Affairs Minister Melanie Joly’s office. .The government cited clauses “16(2)” and “19(1)” of the Access to Information Act as justification for redacting the name, which relate to “security” and “personal information,” respectively, but Terrazzano said the CTF "doesn't buy" those reasons.."On the security claim, the event already happened five months ago. Is the government worried about the Terminator travelling back in time?" Terrazzano said..As for the personal information claim, Terazzano said the law is clear those types of expenses aren't personal information.."They were there on business representing Canadian taxpayers and using Canadian tax dollars so they have a responsibility to be transparent about how they waste our money," he said.."Also, the government could have just asked the individual who stayed in the room if it was OK to disclose the information. Did they ask? Did the person say no to disclosing the information?" he added..As such, a lawyer representing the CTF filed an official complaint with the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC), seeking to compel the government to release the unredacted records. The OIC is responsible for investigating complaints and resolving disputes related to the access-to-information system..“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to come clean and tell taxpayers who stayed in the River Suite,” Terrazzano said.“You don’t get to be prime minister and hide how you spend our tax dollars.”
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) launched a legal challenge with the Office of the Information Commissioner to get the federal government to admit who stayed in the $6,000 per night hotel suite during Queen Elizabeth II's funeral..While the CTF filed an access-to-information request for documents to determine who stayed in the luxury suite during the state visit to the United Kingdom, the government wrote down and then redacted the name of the individual in its response. As justification, they cited security concerns and a clause in the Access to Information Act that prohibits the release of personal information..“As a matter of principle, the government owes taxpayers transparency,” said Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the CTF..“Taxpayers paid the bills, and we deserve to know who wasted our money staying in the $6,000-per-night hotel room.”.Canada sent a large delegation to the Queen's state funeral in September 2022, which included Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family, Governor General Mary Simon, four former prime ministers, two former governors general and three First Nations leaders..The delegation spent nearly $400,000 in hotel room costs alone, including the $6,000-per-night "River Suite" room at the Corinthia Hotel. That hotel has been described as “one of the top luxury hotels in central London.".The federal government has refused to disclose who stayed in the hotel room, despite repeated questioning from opposition MPs and journalists. But Governor Mary Simon confirmed she was not the one who stayed in the suite..The Toronto Sun recently reported bureaucrats in Global Affairs drafted responses to media requests on the subject, but were ordered not to respond by staff in Global Affairs Minister Melanie Joly’s office. .The government cited clauses “16(2)” and “19(1)” of the Access to Information Act as justification for redacting the name, which relate to “security” and “personal information,” respectively, but Terrazzano said the CTF "doesn't buy" those reasons.."On the security claim, the event already happened five months ago. Is the government worried about the Terminator travelling back in time?" Terrazzano said..As for the personal information claim, Terazzano said the law is clear those types of expenses aren't personal information.."They were there on business representing Canadian taxpayers and using Canadian tax dollars so they have a responsibility to be transparent about how they waste our money," he said.."Also, the government could have just asked the individual who stayed in the room if it was OK to disclose the information. Did they ask? Did the person say no to disclosing the information?" he added..As such, a lawyer representing the CTF filed an official complaint with the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC), seeking to compel the government to release the unredacted records. The OIC is responsible for investigating complaints and resolving disputes related to the access-to-information system..“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to come clean and tell taxpayers who stayed in the River Suite,” Terrazzano said.“You don’t get to be prime minister and hide how you spend our tax dollars.”
