PMO defends Trudeau’s taxpayer-funded nannies

Back then, he argued “We don’t need it. And Canada can’t afford it”.

Cabinet last week authorized the appointment of the two women under the Official Residences Act as “special assistants at the prime minister’s residence”.

The women will earn between $15 and $20 an hour for work during the day and a lower amount when working at night.

“Like all families of prime ministers, a few staff provide support”.

Mr Trudeau took issue with all the Conservatives’ focus upon income-splitting and child care advantages tax credits.

The hiring of nannies on the public dime is at odds with Trudeau’s claim, made repeatedly during the election campaign, that wealthy families like his don’t need the Enhanced Universal Child Care Benefit introduced by the previous Conservative government. Do taxpayers somehow feel morally OK with paying for his in-house chef, and not his nannies?

In a comment published by Peter C. Newman in his book, “The Secret Mulroney Tapes”, Mr. Mulroney would later say that “It’s bad enough that we were in deep trouble, this ruined us forever”.

Margaret Trudeau (L) waits with her grandchildren (L-R) Hadrien, Ella-Grace and Xavier during the arrival of her son, Prime Minister designate Justin Trudeau who is to be sworn in as the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, November 4, 2015.

I think most fair minded Canadians agree.

Trudeau is also entitled to collect annual UCCB payments of about $3,400 for his three children.

And while Stephen Harper’s children were old enough not to require a nanny when he moved into 24 Sussex Drive - coupled with the fact that his wife had essentially been a stay-at-home mom to their kids – the former Conservative prime minister had his own troubles regarding taxpayer-funded expenses.

Being prime minister isn’t a blank cheque, but it is a privileged position, and I couldn’t care less that we’re supporting two child-care professionals along with the gardener.

Purchase did not specify what those other duties entail, but said similar arrangements have existed for Trudeau’s predecessors. When you consider the size of the federal budget, splurging a bit on some of the frills of national greatness – properly maintaining a comfortable official residence for the prime minister and their family, just to pluck one example out of thin air – is chump change. A senior Liberal source told CBC News that nannies were hired in advance of worldwide travel the family was about to embark on.

New Democrat MP Sheila Malcolmson, the party’s status of women critic, called out the prime minister for paying his nannies so little. “He will be adapting the staff complement to suit his family’s requirements, given he is the proud father of three young children”, Kate Purchase said in an email.