The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the Wakeham government to bring in stricter rules on government event spending after records revealed former premier Andrew Furey’s Churchill Falls announcement cost taxpayers more than $79,000.

“Spending taxpayers’ money to throw a fancy event for a political announcement is the kind of waste taxpayers are sick of,” said Devin Drover, CTF Atlantic Director and General Counsel. “Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are tightening their belts and politicians should be doing the same.”

Former premier Andrew Furey announced the memorandum of understanding for a new deal with the Quebec government on the Churchill Falls hydroelectric plant at The Rooms in St. John’s on Dec. 12, 2024. The MOU was later found to not be in the best interests of the province by an independent review panel.

The event cost taxpayers $79,040, according to records obtained by the CTF through an access-to-information request.

The total cost of the event represents more money than most Newfoundlanders and Labradorians take home in a year of work.

“Taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for a $79,000 photo op,” Drover said. “If the government has news to share, the premier can stand in front of a microphone and share it. There’s no reason to spend tens of thousands of dollars dressing up an announcement.”

Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial debt is expected to increase to $21 billion by the end of 2026. Interest charges cost taxpayers $1.2 billion annually, which is about $2,100 per Newfoundlander and Labradorian.

The CTF is calling on Premier Tony Wakeham’s government to introduce clear rules limiting the cost of government announcement events and to require public disclosure of event costs.

“Wakeham campaigned on respecting taxpayers and that means putting an end to this kind of waste,” Drover said. “Bringing in spending caps and disclosure rules would show Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that the days of expensive photo ops are over.”