Federal minister Harjit Sajjan is defending his decision to accept taxpayer-funded Taylor Swift tickets for himself and his daughter.
Sajjan, the minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, was invited by PavCo, a B.C. Crown corporation that owns and operates B.C. Place Stadium, where the concerts will take place.
PavCo has been donating Swift tickets to food banks and other charity organizations so that they could raffle them off and raise money. PavCo has also gifted B.C. Place suites to be auctioned off.
“This is actually supporting a very good cause, something that Taylor Swift also supports as well,” Sajjan told reporters Wednesday.
Sajjan made his remarks in a brief media scrum on Parliament Hill. He did not elaborate on how his acceptance of the tickets will go toward a good cause.
Global News has reported that Sajjan made a $1,500 donation to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
He said his family had previously purchased four tickets for Swift’s concert in Toronto but ended up selling them at cost, choosing instead to attend the Vancouver concert.
“I’m actually very happy to be able to raise money and create greater awareness for the food bank,” he said.
Harjit Sajjan says he accepted the tickets from B.C. Crown corporation PavCo because it has been supporting food banks through ticket donations.
Mayor declines tickets
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim was also invited by PavCo but turned it down.
“Mayor Sim is absolutely thrilled that Vancouver will be the final stop on Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour,” his office said in a statement.
“While tickets were offered to him in his capacity as the mayor of Vancouver, he declined and personally purchased tickets for himself, his family and friends. It’s a chance to join Vancouverites and visitors from around the world in celebrating this unforgettable event right here in our city.”
B.C. Premier David Eby’s office also confirmed neither Eby nor Tourism Minister Spencer Chandra Herbert accepted PavCo tickets.
“PavCo will make its own decisions around how they allocate their tickets,” Chandra Herbert said in an interview.
“But I think certainly the message that I would have is we need to be making sure that if those tickets are being used, they’re being used by somebody who’s a key partner for us, who’s going to generate good growth for our province, who’s a key partner in terms of community benefit.”
Swift will be ending her record-breaking Eras Tour this Sunday in Vancouver after nearly 150 performances in almost two years over five continents.