Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner discovered that Canadian taxpayers spent almost 7 million dollars to quarantine just 15 people in one Calgary hotel.
Garner’s discovery came after she submitted order paper questions regarding specific quarantine hotels in Alberta.
On Monday, Garner received a response from Liberal MP Adam Van Koeverden.
Garner wrote in her substack what she learned.
“In fiscal year 2022, long after the rest of the world had ended quarantine hotel restrictions and after the government had lifted travel restrictions, at one Calgary area hotel, the federal Liberal government spent $6,790,717.46 on lodging expenses for . . . wait for it . . . 15 people,” Garner said.
“That works out to $452,714.50 spent per person on a quarantine hotel after they ended most travel restrictions.”
This cost about $450,000 more per person than what the feds said it would. CTV reported two years ago that the per-person price was about $1,500.
Moreover, Garner mentions this expense came after the federal government lifted its quarantine requirements.
“The response to my order paper question states that the government could cancel the contract after giving 30 day notice but only elected to do so sometime in late fall 2022, again, long after travel restrictions had been eased,” Garner said.
“Why was this contract maintained after travel restrictions had been lifted? How did no one catch that this was happening? And this is just one quarantine hotel facility. How many more stories like this are there across the country?”
Garner said she intends to dig into the issue even further.
Garner was Patrick Brown’s campaign chair in the federal Conservative party leadership race Poilievre won.
She stepped down from that role amid speculation she would run for the Alberta premiership. Shortly after, Brown was disqualified from the race over cheating allegations.
