Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan is facing backlash after accepting taxpayer-funded tickets to attend Taylor Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour at BC Place with his daughter this Saturday. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is calling on Sajjan to pay for the tickets out of pocket rather than relying on public funds.“If Sajjan wants to take his daughter to a Taylor Swift concert, he should be paying out of pocket, not taking taxpayer-funded tickets,” said Carson Binda, the B.C. Director for the CTF. “It’s ridiculously out of touch for a Trudeau minister to Shake It Off at the Eras Tour on the taxpayer dime.”The tickets, provided by B.C. PavCo, the Crown corporation that operates the stadium, are for a private suite where seats typically cost between $18,000 and $23,000, according to Global News. Sajjan defended his actions by stating he made a $1,500 donation to a local food bank instead of paying for the tickets directly.Criticism has mounted as other politicians, including Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, B.C. Premier David Eby, and Tourism Minister Spencer Chandra Herbert, declined similar taxpayer-funded offers from PavCo.“Every other politician realized how inappropriate it is to see Taylor Swift on the taxpayer dime,” Binda added. “I understand Sajjan and his daughter want to live out their Wildest Dreams and see Taylor Swift, but they should do so with their own money.”
