Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry's Relationship Has a Cost for Canadian Taxpayers

Much has been written and said, positive or negative, about Justin Trudeau's relationship with superstar singer and one-time astronaut Katy Perry. He's been criticized for dancing in Instagram posts and for applying sunscreen on his girlfriend, among other things.

It seems his detractors have a new thing to be mad about, as an investigation from the Journal de Montréal published on Tuesday found that RCMP officers regularly accompany Trudeau, including during private travel with his children and Perry. ''He uses the RCMP like his own private security agency,'' one source reportedly told the publication.

The newspaper reported that some assignments can involve three or four federal police officers on the ground, with taxpayers covering their travel, accommodation and meals, along with salaries and overtime. To be clear, this privilege is given to every single former Prime minister.

The reported trips have included vacations in Italy and Saint-Tropez, Perry's concerts in Japan and Germany, and other private excursions. Trudeau has also travelled internationally for professional engagements, including appearances at the World Economic Forum in Davos and speaking engagements abroad.

Exactly how much this costs the public remains unclear, as the RCMP declined to provide the Journal with figures for Trudeau's protection, the number of officers assigned to him or the operational details involved. The force cited security concerns, saying that revealing such information could expose details about protective arrangements.

Trudeau is entitled to RCMP protection because of his status as a former prime minister, and that protection does not automatically disappear when he travels for personal reasons.

However, the presence of Perry can create additional security considerations. A former RCMP deputy commissioner told the Journal that Perry's own security team operates under a different mandate and therefore cannot simply be responsible for protecting Trudeau. Security officials may also have to assess threats associated with Perry, who travels with a high public profile and has previously faced security incidents.

While in office, Trudeau's security costs rounded out to an annual average of about 30 million dollars, nearly three times more than former prime minister Jean Chrétien. As one source tells the Journal, though, Trudeau has been the victim of substantially more threats in the years since.