The Conservative Party of Canada is putting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on blast for what they describe as a “lavish” and “swanky” retreat at a Sudbury Holiday Inn.
“Today, Justin Trudeau took a surprise trip up to Sudbury to appease his Liberal MPs from Ontario at their swanky retreat before the summer ends, where they will discuss ways to make life more costly and miserable for Ontarians, especially those in Northern Ontario,” according to an email sent by party media relations manager Sebastian Skamski on Wednesday evening.
The email, titled “Trudeau’s lavish retreat,” also criticizes the Prime Minister for not holding a media availability.
Liberal Party of Canada members have been in Sudbury all week, Sudbury Liberal MP Viviane Lapointe’s senior communications advisor, Hailey Short, clarified to Sudbury.com today.
Ministers toured various locations in the region on Monday and Tuesday, including those in the mining sector. Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada visited downtown Sudbury, where she announced funding for Indigenous tourism and economic development.
The Liberal Party of Canada’s Ontario Caucus meetings began on Wednesday and conclude today.
On Wednesday, Liberals were in meetings at the Holiday Inn all day, during which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stopped by to participate.
Today, Liberals are meeting at one of Science North’s board rooms for their second day of meetings.
“That’s basically it,” Short said, adding that this must be the lavishness the Tories referenced.
Sudbury.com reached out to Skamski this morning for more insight regarding the Conservatives’ use of the words “swanky” and “lavish” to describe the Liberals’ Sudbury retreat, but did not receive a response. This story will be updated in the event a response is received.
“All political parties have caucus meetings, and they just so happen to be here this year,” Nickel Belt Liberal MP Marc Serré’s office clarified in a written response to Sudbury.com. “These meetings are standard... Not sure where they get their benchmark status of ‘lavish.’”
Sudbury.com asked Skamski how much the Conservative Party of Canada’s September 2023 policy convention and caucus meeting in Quebec City cost taxpayers, but did not receive a response. The CBC reported in May that a House of Commons bill totalling $426,283 was filed, including $331,699 for travel, $71,408 for accommodations and $21,053 for meals and incidentals.
In his email to media, Skamski criticized what he described as other “lavish getaways” the Liberals have embarked on, such as a September 2022 caucus meeting in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, which he said cost at least $428,000, and a September 2023 caucus meeting in London, Ontario, which cost $314,552 “that we know about so far.”
Skamski also criticized the Liberals for their upcoming “lavish” national caucus retreat planned to take place on Vancouver Island in September.
He closed his email by citing statistics around “Trudeau’s Housing Crisis” and “Trudeau’s Crime Wave,” wherein local housing costs have skyrocketed and violent crime has spiked under the Liberals’ watch in recent years.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.