Prime Minister Mark Carney and his entourage have been enjoying gourmet meals during international flights, including fine wine, braised beef, and luxury Normandy butter cups, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF). The advocacy group uncovered that catering expenses for three overseas trips in 2025 totaled almost $200,000.
Breakdown of Catering Costs
The CTF analyzed House of Commons order paper questions to find that the most expensive trip was a September 2025 visit to Rome and Vatican City, costing nearly $94,000. The menu featured veal escalope, herb and smoked Gouda omelets, crème brûlée, and chocolate mousse. Carney, a devout Catholic, attended the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV with his wife, Diana Fox Carney.
A trip to the United Kingdom in March 2025, just two days after Carney was sworn in, resulted in a catering bill of over $52,610. The outbound menu included red wine braised beef with edamame ragu or pearl onion and rosemary roasted red potatoes, while the return flight offered pan-seared salmon with lemon and herb couscous and broccoli.
In June 2025, Carney and 57 others flew to the Netherlands for the NATO leaders' summit. The catering cost for the Royal Canadian Air Force Airbus 330 was approximately $49,000, with options like beef tenderloin, Scottish salmon, and luxury Normandy butter cups.
Wine Selections
On each flight, passengers could choose from four wines—two red and two white—all from Ontario or British Columbia wineries. A 2021 chardonnay from Inniskillin Montague Vineyard, priced around $30, was available on every flight. Red options included Le Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir ($55 at the LCBO) and Meyer Family Vineyards Pinot Noir ($56).
CTF Criticism
Franco Terrazzano, the CTF's federal director, argued that the spending exceeds what an average Canadian family spends on food in a decade. According to the latest Canada Good Price Report, a family of four is expected to spend $17,571.79 on food this year, totaling roughly $180,000 over ten years. “When the government is paying more than a billion dollars a week to cover interest charges on the debt, it’s time to stop irresponsible overspending on luxuries like gourmet in-flight dining,” Terrazzano said in a press release.
