Global Affairs Canada WASTES $523,000 on furniture… in one day

Global Affairs Canada spent half-a-million dollars on furniture for the office it did not need. The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) called “March Madness” an annual tradition for office holders.

Conservative MP Eric Melillo asked, “With regard to government expenditures on ‘furniture and fixtures including parts,’ what was the total amount?”

Blacklock’s revealed the Department of Foreign Affairs spent $523,446 on furniture this March 31. Trudeau’s cabinet has repeatedly denied splurging by their departments in the dying hours of the fiscal year.

“Furniture is purchased on a regular basis as part of the department’s standard furniture replacement cycle,” cabinet wrote in response to the parliamentary inquiry. In this particular case, Foreign Affairs made 73 orders for fixtures and furniture on the taxpayer dime, without explanation.

“The Government of Canada acquires and manages furniture in an effective and economical way,” it said, a claim the PBO refutes.

Budget Officer, Yves Giroux, testified that “March Madness” happened yearly. “You spend money you have rather than let it lapse even if you don’t absolutely need the money,” he told the Senate national finance committee in 2021.

“Do you think we are encouraging a culture where managers are asking for even more than they need?” asked Senator Éric Forest. “Yes,” replied Giroux. “That is the … potential downside, and it is what we observe fairly frequently.”

DOCUMENTS confirm @MelanieJoly's dep't placed $523,000 in rush orders for furniture on March 31 in dying hours of the fiscal year, an annual ritual in misspending known as March Madness: 'Money disappears if it's not used.'  https://t.co/qKdBe1DwyJ @Eric_Melillo pic.twitter.com/kklltlCUQN

Cabinet rebuked the claim of pointless spending, suggesting new furniture and fixings are necessary for staff to carry out their respective duties.

“Contracts are issued throughout the year at a regular pace with only a moderate increase in February or March,” they wrote in response to a prior parliamentary inquiry.

“In fact many of the large value contracts are established three to six months before the deliverables are received,” it said. “An example of these would be furniture and computer purchases that happen on a yearly basis.”

Giroux notes there are “few negative consequences” to underspending. “It is human nature [to spend on what you don’t need], unfortunately.”

Alex Dhaliwal

Calgary Based Journalist

Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.