Feds drop $13 million on promotional merch in three years

Federal departments and Crown corporations have blown roughly $13 million on branded promotional merchandise over the last three years.

Source: Canadian Energy Centre

Federal departments and Crown corporations have blown roughly $13 million on branded promotional merchandise over the last three years, spending taxpayer dollars on items such as temporary tattoos, air fresheners, socks and climate change card games.

The records were released in response to an order paper question submitted by Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner and later obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

Rempel Garner asked for all financial records of branded or promotional products purchased by departments or Crown corporations between January 1, 2022, and June 6, 2025.

“It’s like the government had a contest to see which department could come up with the dumbest way to spend taxpayers’ money and they all won,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director, in a press release on Tuesday. “This is what happens when you have too many bureaucrats with too many tax dollars.”

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police spent the most of any agency, but it refused to present an itemized list of its expenditures. However, the RCMP racked up a $4 million tab on branded merchandise.

Canadian Heritage spent the next most, with the department dropping about $2 million on branded hockey pucks, candle holders and lip balm.

National Defence also shelled out nearly $1.4 million on branded merch, or roughly $34,000 per month.

Farm Credit Canada spent a total of $870,500, which included $32,600 on tractor-shaped air fresheners alone.

Additionally, the government spent $207,000 on various hats across all departments, $607,000 on different styles of bags and $40,500 on Yeti and Stanley drinkware.

All federal departments combined spent $51,800 on socks, $25,600 on maple syrup and maple products.

Meanwhile, Export Development Canada drained $4,100 on climate change card games, $3,400 on Yukon soap, $10,700 on apple peel notebooks with bamboo pens, $4,500 on branded apples and $1,100 on “chocolat bon bons.”

Destination Canada spent $26,900 on moccasins, $13,300 on candles and $9,000 on charcuterie boards. Natural Resources Canada spent $3,200 on phone wallets and $1,350 on temporary tattoos.

VIA Rail dropped $11,400 on “Pride” paraphernalia, while the Department of Immigration spent $12,000 on bamboo toothbrushes, among other things.

“Government bureaucrats dropping thousands of dollars on stress balls really stresses taxpayers out. Unless the temporary tattoos show the national debt to remind bureaucrats to cut spending, it’s a waste of money,” said Terrazzano. “Prime Minister Mark Carney needs to tell government bureaucrats to knock it off with the card games, charcuterie boards, laser pens and flying saucers.”

The Royal Canadian Mint left taxpayers on the hook for $41,800, the National Capital Commission for $12,000, the Canadian Race Relations Foundation for $2,400, and the Canada Lands Company for $1,800.

While this level of spending would appear outrageous to many Canadians struggling with the rising cost of living, at least these departments kept track of its expenditures.

Whereas CBC/Radio-Canada didn’t even bother to track its expenses and could not provide any accurate information after being requested.

The same was true of the Canada Border Services Agency, the National Arts Centre, the Canadian Security Intelligence Services and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Meanwhile, Parks Canada dropped $847,000 on promotional items without providing any details on what they were.

Across all departments, the feds procured $11,900 worth of stress balls.

“Carney said he’s going to cut waste and if he’s serious he would put the government’s promotional merch spending spree on the chopping block,” Terrazzano said. “Anyone who claims there’s no fat to cut needs to be reminded that the government is spending millions of dollars on branded merch.”