OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper may be the most powerful man in the country but when it comes to working away from home he does it on the cheap — when he can.
Documents released through Access to Information reveal that when traveling in Canada Harper is keen to avoid the appearance of luxury on the taxpayer’s dime, even hiring out rooms at the Super 8 motel.
“As we prepare and plan for the prime minister’s schedule we always take security and costs as primary concerns,” said Sara MacIntyre, associate press secretary to the prime minister.
According to the documents obtained by Ottawa researcher Ken Rubin, Harper spent $51,645.68 on hotels and hospitality within Canada between April 2007 and August 2009.
Nearly $15,000 of that was for Harper’s visit to the President’s Cup golf tournament in Montreal, where he was the honorary chair of the contest. The proceeds from the event are handed out to a selection of charities chosen by the participants.
For the 2007 tournament, Harper spent $4,674 on books to give as gifts to players and coaches at the charity event and close to $10,000 on food and hotel and function rooms.
When visiting mid- to large-sized Canadian cities, Harper opts to stay at hotels such as Quebec City’s Chateau Frontenac, largely because it’s easier to manage security, MacIntyre says.
A two-day stay at the Royal York hotel in Toronto in April of 2008, for example, cost the taxpayer $1,643.54, while another two-day stay at the Hilton in Quebec cost $1,998 in the same year.
The documents reveal Harper also manages to stay at big hotels for less. In July of 2008, a four-day stay at the Chateau Frontenac cost $2,097.
Often, however, the cost of Harper’s hotel rooms are much lower. For example, the prime minister spent $193.27 in May 2008 for a one-night stay at the Delta hotel in Edmonton and $229.50 for one night in Saskatoon in July 2008.
While attending an event in June of 2007, Harper rented a day room at the Super 8 motel in New Brunswick for $126.
This comes after QMI Agency revealed spending in the prime minister’s own office dropped from $38,440 in 2004-2005 and $39,924 in 2005-2006 under the Liberals to $1,917 in 2006-2007, $1,966 in 2007-2008 and $7,705 in 2008-2009 under the Tories.
