The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the Nova Scotia government to rein in politicians’ expense allowances after Premier Tim Houston billed taxpayers for five-star hotels on international trips, according to records obtained through freedom-of-information.

“Houston is telling Nova Scotians the government needs to find savings, but he’s billing taxpayers more than $1,000 a night for a luxury hotel in London,” said Devin Drover, CTF Atlantic Director and General Counsel. “Taxpayers expect the premier to travel for work from time to time, but they shouldn’t be paying for five-star hotels.”

The records, obtained by the CTF, cover the premier’s trips to Paris in May 2025, Boston in June 2025 and London and Milan in October 2025. The three trips cost taxpayers more than $20,000.

In London, Houston stayed three nights at the W London, a five-star luxury hotel in Leicester Square, at a cost of $3,216. His final night cost about $1,270. A Premier Inn on the same block lists rooms for less than a third of the W London’s nightly rate.

In Milan, Houston billed taxpayers $1,828 for two nights at Hotel VIU Milan, a five-star hotel with a rooftop pool and a restaurant run by a Michelin-starred chef. Four-star hotels in the same neighbourhood list rooms for less than half the price.

Houston’s spending comes as the government irresponsibly borrows more money and racks up debt.

Budget 2026 added $5.5 billion to the provincial debt, pushing it to $27.9 billion by the end of the year or about $25,000 for every Nova Scotian. Debt interest payments will cost taxpayers more than $1 billion this year, or $2.8 million every day.

“Houston can’t ask taxpayers to accept cuts while the premier lives it up in five-star hotels on their dime,” said Drover. “If Houston wants Nova Scotians to believe the government is serious about saving money, he needs to lead by example and that starts with staying in normal hotels like the rest of us.”