Ministers and Departments Spent Over $800,000 on Speechwriters in the Past 3 Years

Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault rises during question period in the House of Commons on Oct. 21, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Federal departments and their ministers have spent over $800,000 to hire speechwriters in the past three years, according to information tabled in the House of Commons.

The Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations has been the highest spender for such services, with $142,439 in contracts since 2019. Environment and Climate Change Canada came in second at $134,139.

The information was provided by departments following a written question by Conservative MP Mike Lake (Edmonton-Wetaskiwin). The response was tabled by the government in an Inquiry of Ministry on Jan. 30.

Lake sought information on contracts such as dates, providers, and on the specific speeches produced.

Ministers have used speechwriters when giving addresses to interest groups, but also when they participate in House of Commons debates or testify before committee.

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault had his speech written by a contractor when he spoke in the Commons in June 2021 when he was the Heritage minister.

Guilbeault’s speech was in response to a motion tabled by the Bloc Québécois about Quebec’s constitutional status and the French language, and praised his government’s support of culture in the province.

“Hand in hand with Quebec, we have developed many of our cultural flagships,” Guilbeault said. The speech cost $765, according to Heritage Canada.

Guilbeault’ successor, Pablo Rodriguez, paid $487 to a speechwriter to prepare his opening remarks at a Heritage Commons committee in February 2022.

“You’ve heard me before. I often ask the question, ‘Can you imagine a day without arts, without culture?’ It would be boring. Without theatre, television, movies, books, it would be super boring,” said Rodriguez, addressing pandemic supports to the culture industry.

Heritage Canada spent $63,980 in speechwriting services from April 2020 to March 31 of this year.

Some of the speeches and costs for Heritage Canada include $450 for the Pride National Conference, $350 for a virtual cocktail event with the Quebec music industry, and $975 for an Anti-Racism Action Program 2.0 funding announcement.

Several other ministers have outsourced speeches for parliamentary procedures, such as Public Safety Marco Mendicino.

Craig Steenburgh is by far the more sought-after speechwriter by federal government departments, receiving over $300,000 during the studied period. Contracts appear under entity names “Craig Steenburgh,” “Steenburgh & Associates,” and “Craig Steenburgh and Associates.”

Steenburgh’s website says he’s one of Ottawa’s “busiest independent communications writers” and provides a link to a speech he wrote for Queen Elizabeth II in 2007.

The other top provider of speechwriting services is Marshall-Daigneault & Associates, which received $145,140 in contracts over the period.

Not all departments resort to outside speechwriters, according to the information provided. The offices of the minister of health and the minister of foreign affairs, for example, say they have not issued any contracts for speechwriting.

Information about speechwriting for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was marked as not available.

The information provided by the Privy Council Office says it can hire speechwriters for the Clerk, the Deputy Clerk and unspecified ministers. It spent $18,000 for the period January 2021 to end of fiscal year in March.