VANCOUVER, B.C.: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Minister Brenda Bailey to explain why she charged taxpayers for a $6,645 limousine service bill during a four-day trip to Boston, Mass., in 2023.

“It’s hard to imagine why Bailey would think it’s appropriate to blow taxpayer money on a luxury limousine service,” said Carson Binda, B.C. Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “It’s obscenely out of touch for provincial politicians to be cruising around with a limo service while the government racks up record-breaking amounts of debt.”

Bailey and four staffers traveled to Boston to participate in a conference in 2023. The total budgeted cost of the trip exceeded $44,000, including thousands of dollars’ worth of charges to a limousine rental company.

Bailey used the taxpayer-funded limousine service for trips to the New England Aquarium, high-end steak and seafood restaurants, a shopping mall, as well as conference centres and hotels, according to invoices from JR Limo Car Service, exclusively obtained by the CTF through freedom-of-information requests.

JR Limo Car Service markets itself as a luxury service for “pop culture icons who never drive,” citing fictional characters like Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada and James Bond. “Sure, 007 can drive, but when he’s not dodging explosions, he’s being chauffeured in absolute luxury,” boasts the limousine service’s website. 

“Taxpayers shouldn’t be left with the tab so Bailey can pretend she’s some kind of celebrity,” Binda said. “Premier David Eby must step in and hold ministers accountable when they waste taxpayer money.”

Bailey, who currently serves as finance minister, is overseeing the largest deficit in provincial history at $11.6 billion, according to the first-quarter financial update. That is $665 million over budget. Interest on the provincial debt is currently costing taxpayers $100 million per week.

“Bailey isn’t even willing to save taxpayer money by skipping the limo and taking a taxi,” Binda said. “Every dime Bailey blows on a luxury limo service is money that isn’t going towards paying down the debt or cutting taxes.”