Prime Minister Mark Carney and his entourage racked up a $175,248 airplane catering bill during a 10-day international trip that included gourmet meals of beef tenderloin, veal, truffle risotto and crème brûlée.The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) obtained access-to-information records detailing the meals served during Carney’s January 13-22, trip to China, Qatar and the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.The trip included 72 passengers accompanying the prime minister, with the catering bill working out to approximately $2,400 per person.“Carney spent more money on airplane food during one trip than the average family will spend on groceries in nine years,” said CTF federal director Franco Terrazzano.“You know you’re spending too much on airplane food when you could have eaten caviar and truffles at a Michelin-starred restaurant for a fraction of the price.”The $175,248 catering expense was disclosed in a government response to an order paper question submitted by Conservative MP Scot Davidson.According to the CTF, it was the highest airplane catering bill recorded for any of Carney’s international trips since becoming prime minister.The government indicated some catering expenses could be reimbursed but did not specify which costs, if any, had been recovered.The flight menus included four different beef dishes, including premium entrecote and beef tenderloin with demi-glace sauce.Passengers were also offered veal escalope with lemon and capers, veal blanquette with cream sauce, salmon with coconut curry sauce, seabass fillet and truffle risotto.Other dishes included caprese salad with burrata and pesto.Desserts included blueberry cheesecake, apple strudel, crème brûlée, chocolate mousse and panna cotta with berries.The CTF calculated the catering costs at approximately $300 per passenger for each meal service..The taxpayers' group compared that expense to a Michelin-starred restaurant in Beijing, where a lunch featuring confit duck, caviar, scallops, truffles and dessert costs approximately $180 per person.During his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Carney called for greater international cooperation.“If we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu,” Carney told the gathering.Terrazzano used the prime minister's remarks to criticize the catering expenses.“Taxpayers weren’t at the table on Carney’s flight, but we’re stuck with the bill,” he said.“The food sounds delicious, but it’s the bill that’s giving taxpayers indigestion.”The CTF pointed to another international trip as evidence that significantly lower catering expenses are possible.During an August 2025 visit to Poland, Germany and Latvia, Carney travelled with 62 passengers and accumulated an airplane catering bill of just $9,270, according to government records.That was $165,978 less than the January 2026 trip.The organization also obtained records showing Carney and his entourage accumulated approximately $1 million in airplane catering expenses during international trips between March 2025 and March 2026.The CTF noted the spending comes despite Carney's repeated promises to reduce government expenses.The organization also compared his catering bills with those of former prime minister Justin Trudeau.During a May 2025 trip to Rome, Carney and his entourage spent $93,780 on airplane catering.By comparison, Trudeau and his entourage accumulated a $43,000 airplane food bill during a trip to Italy in 2024.The CTF said the figures raise questions about government spending priorities at a time when Canadians continue to face high grocery costs.The $175,248 figure represents the total reported catering expense for the January trip, although the government has indicated some costs may be eligible for reimbursement.
