Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston spent more than $3,000 on a hotel stay in London, Eng., last year, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. The federation says it looked at the premier’s trips to Paris, Boston, London and Milan last year, which cost more than $20,000. Houston stayed at the W London, a five-star hotel in Leicester Square that cost $3,216 across three nights. “Houston is telling Nova Scotians the government needs to find savings, but he’s billing taxpayers more than $1,000 a night for a luxury hotel in London,” said Devin Drover, Atlantic director and general counsel with the federation, in a news release. “Taxpayers expect the premier to travel for work from time to time, but they shouldn’t be paying for five-star hotels.” The Office of the Premier said staff follow government travel policies that have existed for previous premiers. “Staff take several factors into consideration, such as cost, safety and security and proximity to meeting locations,” the office said. “Premier Houston is focused on protecting Nova Scotia from President Trump’s trade war and growing our economy by building new partnerships and export opportunities. This sometimes requires travel and face-to-face meetings to help seal the deal.” The federation also says Houston paid $1,828 for two nights at the Hotel VIU Milan, which has a rooftop pool and a restaurant with a Michelin-starred chef. “Houston can’t ask taxpayers to accept cuts while the premier lives it up in five-star hotels on their dime,” said Drover. “If Houston wants Nova Scotians to believe the government is serious about saving money, he needs to lead by example and that starts with staying in normal hotels like the rest of us.” Lori Turnbull, a professor with Dalhousie University, said $20,000 could be a “drop in the bucket” for the province’s overall budget, but noted it still matters for the public. “The public expects you to be a responsible custodian of public office, and they expect you to act in ways that are respectful towards the public in terms of the finances,” Turnbull said. The Office of the Premier said Houston went to London and Milan as part of a four-day mission to pursue energy and offshore natural gas exploration opportunities. According to the Nova Scotia government’s website, Houston spent roughly $60,000 on international travel in 2025, which included Miami, Washington, Denmark, Spain, England, France and Italy. “The Prime Minister is asking Premiers to do their best and get out to promote our region and country,” the Office of the Premier said. “Since January alone, Premiers across Canada have engaged in over 100 trade missions all over the world. “These missions are paying off for Nova Scotia. In 2025, we sold more to France, more to Denmark, more to Spain, and more to Italy than we did in 2024.” Houston’s international travel costs in 2024 amounted to roughly $28,000. Comparatively, his New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island counterparts spent $6,900 and $17,000, respectively, on out-of-Canada travel expenses in 2025. With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Callum Smith For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
