The biggest spenders: Canada’s MPs spent $187.8M in 2024, including $32M on travel
Canadian members of Parliament spent a record $187.8 million in 2024, including $32 million on travel. That’s an increase of $12.7 million over 2023, according to proactively disclosed expenditure records.
The $187.8 million in taxpayer money also included $114.1 million for MP staff salaries, $39.8 million for third-party contracts and $1.9 million for hospitality expenses.
The biggest spenders
MPs spent an average of $547,000 each in the 2024 calendar year. Only 10 MPs spent more than $700,000, including four Conservatives, three Liberals, two NDP members and one Bloc Québécois MP.
The biggest spender of all was former Bloc Québécois MP Kristina Michaud, who billed taxpayers $775,000. That included $328,000 on travel, which was also more than any other parliamentarian.
Michaud, who did not seek re-election in 2025, represented the Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia riding in southeastern Quebec. Her travel spending was $46,000 higher than Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout, who represents some the most remote communities in Canada.
In terms of top overall spenders, Michaud was followed by B.C. Conservative Frank Caputo at more than $769,000 and Alberta Conservative Mike Lake at nearly $745,000.
- Kristina Michaud (Bloc Québécois, Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia) – $775,017.54
- Frank Caputo (Conservative, Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo) – $769,158.93
- Mike Lake (Conservative, Edmonton-Wetaskiwin) – $744,594.76
- Lori Idlout (NDP, Nunavut) – $732,496.44
- Carla Qualtrough (Liberal, Delta) – $714,287.57
- Eric Melillo (Conservative, Kenora) – $712,662.86
- Ron McKinnon (Liberal, Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam – $712,550.24
- Yvonne Jones (Liberal, Labrador) – $708,441.91
- Rachel Blaney (NDP, North Island-Powell River) – $707,762.05
- Len Webber (Conservative, Calgary Confederation) – $704,987.11
Excluding party leaders and lawmakers who joined or departed Parliament in 2024, the most frugal MP was Liberal Yves Robillard, who did not seek re-election in 2025. The former MP from Laval, Que. spent nearly $378,000, which was less than half of the expenses claimed by Michaud and Caputo.
NDP leads spending by party
By party, the NDP spent the most on average at $583,000 per MP, followed by the Bloc Québécois at $565,000, the Green Party at nearly $559,000, the Conservatives at nearly $556,000 and the Liberals at more than $532,000.
As the governing party and official opposition, the Liberals and Conservatives receive more federal resources than smaller parties, which could offset some of their MPs’ expenses.
Spending by category
By category, Lake from the Conservatives spent the most on staff salaries at nearly $486,000, which was more than $205,000 higher than the national average.
Four Liberals were the biggest spenders on hospitality, led by Minister of International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc at nearly $16,000. At almost triple the national average, LeBlanc’s hospitality spending included numerous taxpayer-funded meetings at Thai restaurants and the Keg.
Bloc Quebecois MP Mario Beaulieu spent the most on third-party contracts. The nearly $273,000 he expensed for things like advertising and office supplies was more than double the national average.
MPs from western, northern and remote ridings understandably had higher travel expenses than many of their colleagues. When travel expenses were removed, the top-spending MP was Liberal James Maloney from the Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding in Toronto. When excluding travel, Caputo and Lake from the Conservatives still made the top five.
Party leaders spending millions
The data does not include expenses related to MPs’ roles as house officers or opposition leaders, which come with much larger budgets and would add $24.5 million to the total spent in 2024. When such expenditures are factored in, party leaders and house officers by far spent more than other MPs.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was top amongst them, with $8.8 million in total spending, including $7.4 million for staff salaries. Most of those costs were associated with his role as official opposition leader. Spending associated with his continency office and role as an MP was amongst the lowest in Canada, at nearly $241,000.
- Pierre Poilievre (Conservative) – $8,832,375.53
- Justin Trudeau (Liberal) – $4,194,564.39
- Jagmeet Singh (NDP) – $3,798,681.92
- Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc Québécois) – $3,706,058.42
The data used in CTVNews.ca’s analysis does not include MPs’ salaries, spending pertaining to cabinet positions and the prime minister’s office, or costs related to vacant seats in Parliament.
What’s behind the costs?
Kathy Brock is a political scientist and professor emerita at Queen’s University. Brock says that MPs are increasingly taking a more active role in researching and promoting the issues that are important to them, which could lead to higher office and travel expenses.
“While some of the increase may be due to increasing costs of travel etc., the increased costs are also due to changing norms and a shift in members’ perceptions of their role as MPs,” Brock told CTVNews.ca. “A greater acceptance of public sector deficits contributes to a more liberal view of spending as well.”
Duff Conacher is the co-founder of Democracy Watch, a non-profit that advocates for democratic reform and government accountability. Conacher says that while spending increases are largely on track with inflation, a few gaps remain in how MP expenses are tracked and overseen.
“The biggest problem is that the Board of Internal Economy, which is made up of MPs from all parties, enforces the spending rules in secret, which allows MPs to arbitrarily cover up or expose misspending situations,” Conacher told CTVNews.ca. “One gap in the rules is that for hospitality (i.e. meals, appetizers), while the MP is required to provide the ‘original receipt’ the MP is not required to provide the detailed receipt that shows exactly what was bought.”
This article was first reported by CTV News
