Alberta premier's Mar-a-Lago visit cost more than $10,000, documents reveal

A clearer picture is emerging of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's visit to Mar-a-Lago to meet then president-elect Donald Trump in January, as a trade war with the United States loomed.

The unexpected trip cost $10,101.87 and included three others — one of whom flew home in business class — according to documents obtained by CBC News through a Freedom of Information request and a routine disclosure stating both who travelled with the premier and the total cost of the visit.

The trip, which Smith announced shortly after the fact on social media, prompted criticism that she was not part of the unified "Team Canada" response to the threat of Trump's tariffs. 

Smith was the only premier who visited Trump's golf club at the time and has previously said they had a "constructive" conversation in which she "emphasized the mutual importance of the U.S.-Canadian energy relationship."

Now, records show Smith visited the Palm Beach, Fla., club from Jan. 10 to 12, joined by chief of staff Rob Anderson, principal secretary Rebecca Polak and James Rajotte, Alberta's senior representative to the United States. 

The cost of flights, hotels, meals and other expenses totalled $10,101.87 for the approximately 48-hour trip. 

Travel was billed at $7,935, and included a one-way flight for Anderson in business class from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Calgary, connecting through Montreal, that cost $2,848.70. All four stayed at a Marriott during the trip.

The documents, when cross-referenced with the province's publicly accessible travel and expense disclosure table, also show that Smith, Polak and Anderson travelled to Florida from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. 

In a travel policy form that outlined the details of the Florida visit, the proposed mission objective and key initiatives were redacted.

A second mission objective was stated as: "Engage key incoming administration allies and gain insights on international trade, and political/administration/policy changes which may affect Alberta and Canada."

Later in January, on inauguration day, Smith was asked about the trip by CBC News chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault.

"What I asked the president was, do you want to buy more oil and gas from Canada? And he said yes," Smith said.

Response from premier's office

CBC News sent a list of questions to the premier's office seeking clarity on the details of the visit.

Sam Blackett, the premier's press secretary, pointed to comments Smith has previously made, including the premier's Jan. 12 social media post about the trip and at a routine committee meeting in March, when she explained she was in Punta Cana on holiday for Anderson's wedding.

"The opportunity to go to Florida emerged at that time. Because it was government business, there was a one-way flight from Punta Cana to Florida for each of us," Smith said, according to a transcript. 

She also stated that Anderson has a doctor's note about a blood condition that requires him to travel business class.

Smith also explained her approach.

"I can tell you that the number of meetings that we have had - the strategy that we're taking is that we are meeting with influencers on the U.S. President," she told the committee.

Blackett did not respond to questions about how long the premier met with Trump, whether it justified the overall price tag of the trip and its return on investment and why Smith was accompanied by three others.

Lori Williams, a political science professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary, said the January visit raises questions.

"It makes sense that James Rajotte would be part of this but it isn't as clear to me why two other personnel in addition to the premier would have been needed at this particular visit," she said.

The lack of clarity over how long Smith met with Trump raises other inquiries for Williams.

"We're talking about a large sum of money, $10,000, to be spent for perhaps more people being involved than were necessary, for what might have been a very brief exchange and had very little impact," she said.

Williams points to other engagements the premier has been a part of, including speaking at conferences with U.S. governors and appearing on U.S. media outlets, saying they're effective ways to share Canada's concerns.

"It's not clear that this relatively expensive opportunity would have been one of them," she said. "It's this sort of bigger question about whether you're spending more in the way of tax dollars in ways that doesn't sufficiently respect the hard work that went into earning those dollars by the people of Alberta."