The continuing costs of 24 Sussex

Canadians paying too much for dilapidated buildings, says Ken Rubin.

Canadians may be forgiven if they are upset about having to pay for more than one prime minister’s residence or for more than one temporary home for parliamentarians.

Even though Justin Trudeau and his family aren’t living at 24 Sussex, there are still costs, and, as parliamentarians are relocated for the renovations of Centre Block, there will be further costs for that, too.

A member of Trudeau’s staff each day transports meals from the kitchen at 24 Sussex Drive, over to the prime minister and his family where they are living at the Rideau Cottage, on the grounds of Rideau Hall, according to documents provided to CBC News.

Those meals are prepared by not one, but two chefs.

Trudeau’s publicly paid household staff, who still have offices at 24 Sussex, cost taxpayers around $400,000 each year. The RCMP personal detail costs extra, as do the RCMP security personnel who are found at 24 Sussex and on the grounds of Rideau Hall.

While the prime minister has said he and his family will not live at 24 Sussex — it needs millions of dollars to be fixed up or rebuilt — 24 Sussex has not been deserted since Trudeau’s election in October 2015.

In 2016-17, costs at 24 Sussex reached $345,072 and a further $827,000 at Rideau Cottage for maintenance, repairs and improvements, including a part of the costs for security upgrades at Rideau Cottage.

The hydro and gas bills alone at 24 Sussex in 2016-17 cost $101,057 and $26,192 at Rideau Cottage, according to National Capital Commission access-to-information records. And the pool at 24 Sussex, famously built by private sponsors for Pierre Trudeau, is still in use by the prime minister and his family. Costs to maintain and fix the pool and pool house were more than $40,000 for 2016 and 2017.

Elsewhere, parliamentarians are getting near to ditching the iconic Centre Block on Parliament Hill, badly in need of very expensive repairs. They’ll be moving for at least a decade to two new expensive places: members of Parliament to the newly renovated West Block and the senators to the still-underconstruction Government Conference Centre.

Adding to public expenses is not new. During Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s time, his chef lived rent-free on the grounds at the small 10 Sussex house. That became a part of the narrative tourists heard when they went on Ottawa River boat tours.

The taxpayer funds going to the prime minister’s comings, goings, travel and expenses now include paying for the delivery of his meals.

Future tourists will be forgiven for going to the wrong addresses and dressing down Ottawa for all those extra expenses.