According to recently released federal records, the Department of Foreign Affairs has spent over $139,000 on Canadian diplomats purchasing tickets to concerts, galas, and other events overseas since 2019. The department provided this information in response to an Inquiry of Ministry presented in the House of Commons. The list of ticket purchases spans 11 pages and was requested by Conservative MP Doug Shipley. Some notable expenses include over $13,000 spent on Cirque du Soleil performances in various locations, an ambassador billing Ottawa over $890 to attend a Bryan Adams concert, and diplomats spending around $475 on tickets to a block party in Bangkok. Additionally, the Canadian ambassador to Colombo spent over $3,000 to attend a dance party and banquet celebrating LGBTQ+ activism in Sri Lanka. These disclosures come months after Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland pledged to create savings from government operations. However, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, Yves Giroux, noted that he had not seen any reductions in unnecessary government spending following the introduction of the budget. Giroux also expressed concern over the sharp increase in spending and questioned whether the government had lost control of its finances.