Living in a polarized world where threats can come from multiple sources has resulted in skyrocketing security costs for Canadian prime ministers. So protecting Justin Trudeau costs three times as much today as protecting Jean Chrétien 20 years ago. Explanation of the phenomenon.
Costs related to protecting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau represented $30 million in annual expenses in the last fiscal year, data provided to CBC News shows.
By comparison, about twenty years ago it cost $10.4 million a year to protect former Prime Minister Jean Chretien and his successor Paul Martin.
And inflation doesn’t explain everything: $10.4 million back then would be worth $15.9 million today. We can therefore conclude that the security of prime ministers has doubled in the last 20 years, ignoring the impact of inflation. Also note that these are only costs associated with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
How did we get here?
Security costs can vary depending on several factors, explains Sergeant Kim Chamberland in a written response to questions from CBC News.
These include the risk of national and global threats, the number of people traveling, the level of activity, the number of places visited, the nature and number of political commitments, as well as technological advances and elements determined by economic factors such as travel costs, accommodation and fuel, she summarizes.
In Mr. Trudeau’s case, the 32% increase in security costs over the past three years can be largely explained by the increase in the number of trips he takes and by the increase in pay of the RCMP staff responsible for his protection.
For example, the Trudeau family’s four-day vacation to the Big Sky ski resort in Montana cost $228,000, including $205,000 just for the RCMP members who accompanied them.
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The Yellowstone Club near Big Sky, Montana, north of Yellowstone National Park. Big Sky’s ski and snowboard slopes attract wealthy tourists from around the world. (archive photo)
Photo: Associated Press / Erik Petersen
Pierre-Yves Bourduas, a former member of the RCMP who now runs a security company, points out that the cost of protecting a prime minister can be influenced by the political situation and lifestyle of the person being protected.
Prime Minister Paul Martin’s children were grown, and he and his wife did not do many outdoor activities, as Mr. Bourduas cited as an example. In contrast, Prime Minister Trudeau has a fairly large family with three children, he added.
In addition, the situation is quite complicated due to political polarization within Canada, Mr. Bourduas points out. He’s specifically referring to the stones and threats he received during the last federal election, or that gunman who broke down the gates of Rideau Hall, not far from the Trudeau residence, in 2020 before being arrested by the RCMP.
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Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is escorted by the RCMP after protesters threw rocks at him at a campaign rally in London on September 6. (archive photo)
Photo: The Canadian Press / Nathan Denette
Not to mention Canada’s diplomatic tensions with China and India, which can escalate in many ways here.
A blatant increase in costs under Harper
Security costs rose most significantly under Stephen Harper. They increased from $10.5 million in 2006-2007 to $23 million in 2014-2015.
When the Conservative leader was in office, the cost of armored limousines was particularly high. In 2012, for example, it cost the RCMP $1.2 million to transport two armored Cadillacs and a bulletproof SUV to India for the Harpers’ visit to the country.
Pierre-Yves Bourduas predicts the cost of protecting Canada’s prime ministers will continue to rise, especially during the next election, which he says will be even more polarized.
A sentiment shared by Sean Spence, a Centennial College professor who has worked in corporate security.
With the conflict in the Middle East, increasing tensions between states, inflation and climate change, we are seeing more and more stressors emerge. Therefore, the cost of protecting elected officials will only increase.
Technological progress is also increasing costs, says the professor, who mentions the use of drones or electronic surveillance. According to Sean Spence, protecting a politician is a careful balance between security and accessibility.
In a democracy, elected officials want to be present to the people […] So there will always be a balance to be struck between allowing people to come to them and maintaining some physical separation to ensure their safety.
Consequences for democracy
The data on costs associated with prime ministerial security was provided following an access to information request from Matt Malone, an assistant professor at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia.
Mr. Malone says he took this initiative because he feared violence against politicians was becoming more prevalent in Canada. We have to become aware of this problem, he said. This is something that Canadians are not taking seriously enough in terms of the impact it can have on our democracy.
Based on an article by Elizabeth Thompson, CBC News