Premier’s Office spent nearly $20K on PragerU fundraiser gala
Danielle Smith and four staffers flew to Florida in March so she could speak alongside conservative commentator Ben Shapiro. It was almost double the cost of her infamous Mar-a-Lago trip.
This story was originally published in the Progress Report.
The public spent more than $19,000 for Premier Danielle Smith to travel to Florida in March to speak at a fundraiser for right-wing, fossil fuel-funded non-profit PragerU, according to the government’s travel expense disclosures.
On March 27, the premier spoke at PragerU’s East Coast Gala, which she subsequently described as a “great time.” With ticket prices starting at $1,500 USD, the event raised well over $1 million for PragerU, according to journalist Geoff Diembicki.
It was Smith’s second trip to Florida in three months after visiting President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in January, which the CBC reported cost taxpayers more than $10,000 CAD—little more than half of what the Premier’s Office spent to fundraise for PragerU.
This time, Smith said she had a “meaningful” conversation onstage with Ben Shapiro, a conservative American commentator who has made light of Trump’s threat to annex Canada, in addition to saying “Arabs like to bomb crap and live in open sewage” and that being transgender is a “mental disorder.”
PragerU, which despite its name is not an accredited academic institution, is funded by fracking billionaire brothers Farris and Dan Wilks, as is Shapiro’s Daily Wire website. Both PragerU and Shapiro are prolific disseminators of climate denialism.
The premier was joined on her PragerU trip by her chief of staff Rob Anderson, press secretary Sam Blackett, and two people listed as “tour and advance coordinator”—Ashley Miller and Erin Taylor.
“As is normal across governments, various staff are required for international travel to ensure the success of the Premier’s mission,” spokesperson Justin Brattinga told the Progress Report via email.
“Which staff are required varies by mission but may include an advance staff, an executive assistant, policy and communications staff.”
In total, Smith and her entourage spent $19,442 on the trip. The vast majority of these funds—$13,578—were spent on airfare, with another $3,434 spent on accommodations, $649 spent on taxis or Ubers, and the remaining $1,782 spent on meal expenses, per diems and parking.
Section 1(2) of the provincial government’s Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expenses Policy says public funds must “be used prudently and responsibly with a focus on accountability and transparency,” and that these “expenses must be demonstrated to be necessary and economical with due regard for health, safety and security.”
Keith Brownsey, a political scientist at Mount Royal University in Calgary, told the Progress Report that “a lot of these expenses may be on the high side,” but they’re not extraordinary for conducting government business abroad.
“On the other hand,” he added, “what are you doing going to PragerU? What purpose does this serve for the province? I'm not sure it serves any good purpose.”
Brownsey said he wonders if the premier or any members of her entourage contributed funds directly towards PragerU while they were there, whether it came through purchasing tickets to the event or merchandise.
Even if they paid out of pocket, he said, they would still be donating to a “far-right propaganda outfit in the United States” as a representative of the Alberta government.
“Spending taxpayer dollars to go down there and do this—oh, Jesus, that's the crazy part,” said Brownsey. “I don't understand why Anderson or Smith or the others would think this is reasonable or permissible.”
The Progress Report has filled an access to information request regarding the PragerU trip.
The biggest spender on the PragerU trip by a longshot was Rob Anderson, who charged taxpayers $6,906—more than double the second-biggest spender, Ashley Miller, who spent $3,376 in public funds. Premier Smith expensed $3,178, Emma Taylor spent $3,061 and Sam Blackett expensed $2,922.
Anderson flew business class both ways from Calgary to Miami, costing taxpayers $4,897—the single largest expense of the trip, representing a quarter of its total cost.
The premier’s chief of staff also flew business class on the way home from the premier’s January Florida trip.
Under section 8(2)(a) of the Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expenses Policy, a government official can fly business class “if a medical condition necessitates an upgraded travel class and a supporting physician’s note is provided prior to booking.”
In response to the CBC’s reporting on the Mar-a-Lago mission’s costs, Anderson claimed that he has a rare blood disorder, Factor V Leiden, which requires him to fly business class so he can keep his feet elevated, accusing the public broadcaster of attempting to “smear” him.
“If I’m sitting upright for extended periods, my blood pools and clots which can break off the inside of my veins and cause a fatal embolism or stroke,” Anderson posted on Twitter.
“That means for flights over three hours, I need to fly business in order to not risk leaving my family fatherless/husbandless.”
His airfare receipt shows that Anderson flew business class on four Air Canada flights—from Calgary to Vancouver and Vancouver to Miami on March 26, and then from Miami to Montreal and Montreal to Calgary on March 30.
The receipt for the initial flight from Calgary to Vancouver lists its duration as one hour and 44 minutes, yet Anderson still flew business class.
Only Anderson and Taylor have provided receipts for their biggest expenses, as of publication.
Taylor’s airfare receipts show that she flew “economy comfort” both ways, spending a total of $2,200—less than half of what Anderson paid, and similar in price to the $2,264 that Premier Smith is recorded spending on airfare.
Smith and Taylor are each listed in the disclosures as having purchased airfare on Feb. 6 for $1,476 with Taylor’s receipt indicating that her ticket was for a round trip.
Disclosures show that Smith and Taylor each deducted $743 from their airfare expenses that same day.
On March 27, Taylor purchased a return flight to Calgary for $1,467—almost the same price that the initial round trip would have cost. Smith also purchased additional airfare that day for $1,531.
It wasn’t only on airfare that Anderson spent substantially more than the other members of the premier’s entourage.
Receipts for Anderson and Taylor show they both stayed at the Renaissance Hotel in Boca Raton.
For the nights of March 26 and March 27, Anderson paid a total of $1,104. Taylor stayed at the Renaissance just the night of March 27, paying $395.
The receipts for their respective stays at the Renaissance show that Anderson’s room cost $313 USD a night, whereas Taylor’s cost $244 USD.
Disclosures show that Premier Smith spent a total of $621 CAD on accommodations between March 26 and 28 while Sam Blacket paid $459 and Ashley Miller paid $649.
Of the $649 that was spent on taxis for the trip, Anderson spent $423, including two Uber rides that cost more than $170 each, with Blackett having spent the remaining $246 in cab fare.
Anderson checked out of his Boca Raton hotel on March 28, but didn’t fly out of Miami until March 30, making it unclear where he stayed for his final two days.
He didn’t file any expenses for March 29 and his only expense for March 30 was a $39 cab ride, suggesting Anderson extended his trip for non-government-related reasons.
“Costs for travel expenses like flights and hotels vary depending on when travel plans are made, and plans do occasionally have to shift given the Premier’s evolving schedule,” explained Brattinga, the premier’s spokesperson.
So Alberta tax payers are on the hook for Danielle Smith's interest in far right pseudo university lectures?? Checking out fascism appears to be more expensive than the neoliberal pickle we've been brining ourselves in since the 80's.
Ah, the wonders of being a PetroProvince. And the opportunities for travel.
'Spending taxpayer dollars to go down there and do this—oh, Jesus, that's the crazy part,” said Brownsey. “I don't understand why Anderson or Smith or the others would think this is reasonable or permissible.”' They probably find it reasonable because they're right wing extremists.
If a group of NDP MLAs travelled to a meeting of the Progressive International, such as was held in Havana in May of 2024, the right wing extremists would raise a hue and cry that would be heard from Edmonton to Havana. They'd bring the 'lake of fire' candidate out of retirement.