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Mark Carney becomes the toast of England, Canadians left with $30,000 bill

"Canada's rock-star banker."

That's how some in the UK are describing their incoming central bank governor Mark Carney who, incidentally, used to be the Bank of Canada governor.

"Carney comes with formidable charm, a fearsome intellect and the polish we've come to expect from alumni of that great Wall Street finishing school, Goldman Sachs," one article in The Guardian Newspaper, noted.

The London Evening Standard also opined about the Carney buzz.

"The excitement generated by the news that the handsome 48-year-old Canadian would replace Sir Mervyn King, becoming the first non-Briton to run the Bank since its foundation in 1694, has only intensified since it was announced last November," they wrote.

"With a month to go now before he gets his feet under the desk, the capital is in the clutches of a consuming Carney crush."

While the Brits celebrate their new 'superhero' who begins his job on July 1st, it looks as if we — on this side of the Atlantic — are left holding the bag. Specifically, we're holding a bag full of bills for Carney's goodbye parties.

According to the Canadian Press, the Bank of Canada hosted not one, not two but three "farewell bashes" for the former governor in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto costing over $28,000.

The report also notes that when Carney's travel costs are included, the hit to taxpayers' pocketbooks will be a lot worse.

[ Related: Farewell bashes for outgoing bank governor Mark Carney cost about $30,000 ]

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation thinks the expense is out of line.

"The Bank of Canada is out of touch with everyday Canadians if it is spending $30,000 on lavish going away parties for Mark Carney," the CTF's Gregory Thomas told Yahoo! Canada News.

"Mr. Carney and his colleagues are some of the highest-paid Canadians. They could have easily organized a party on their own dime. And there are at least a dozen banking and business organizations that would have sponsored a going-away event for Mr. Carney, sold tickets, and recovered their costs. This didn’t need to cost taxpayers a penny."

Indeed, Carney earned an annual salary of approximately $500,000 as Bank of Canada Governor. As the chief of the Bank of England, he'll earn well over $1 million.

"In the grand scheme of government spending, $30,000 is not a lot," political consultant Gerry Nicholls told Yahoo!.

"But what matters most in politics is optics. And the optics of dishing out tens of thousands of tax dollars on a farewell party for a bureaucrat is bad, especially when the government is battling a deficit."

[ Related: Tory MP Eve Adams defends herself for claiming beauty products as election expenses ]

"The message it seems to send is the government is not spending the public money is a wise manner."

(Photo courtesy of the Canadian Press)

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