Brian Gallant's Montreal networking party cost $12K

Premier Brian Gallant hosted a two-hour party inaMontrealhotelin October2015 thatcosttaxpayers thousands of dollars.

The event, held at the MarriotMontreal Chteau Champlainincluded an open bar tab worth $2,000. Guests also left with$1,400worth ofGanongchocolatetruffles as partyfavours.

Opportunities New Brunswick hosted the'alumni event' and invited dozens ofexpatriateNew Brunswickers with theaimof getting them to invest intheir home province.

In a written statement to CBC News, Guy Gallant of the premier's officewrote, "Networking has been a long established best practice in business. Previous governments have used it as well. The countless networking associations that exist are testament to the fact that it is effective and it does bring a return on investment."

The government has not said if the party has resulted in any new investment opportunities.

Invoices obtained through theRight to Information Actinclude a bill for $3,160 worth of finger foods, $1,418.15worth of Ganongpremium truffles and a$1,975 open bar tab.

Other expenses included:

• $550 fortwo platters of assorted cheese and crackers
• $414 for 12dozen mini-burgers/sliders
• $195 for five dozen apple brie grilled cheese sandwiches

The total cost of the event, including travel andaccommodationsfor onegovernmentstaffer, is tallied at $12,455.32. The amount does not includePremierGallant'stravel andaccommodation costs.

"This sends thewrongmessage about the situation the province is in," said Kevin Lacey of theCanadianTaxpayers Federation, agovernmentwatchdog group.

"To spend money on these types of frivolous things, at a time when the province isstrugglingfinancially and trying to raise taxes, is not a strategy that will sell the province well."

Lacey saidin light of the upcoming budget on Feb. 2, the government expectingNew Brunswickers to be okay with this type of spending is unrealistic.

"The province has been crying for, and wants to, raise taxes," said Lacey. "And it'sshamefulthat they're spending thousands on free food and booze for invited guests."

Opportunities New Brunswick has refused to release a guest list, citing privacy concerns, though some photos of the event were published on the premier's Facebook page and Twitter account.

Amongthose in the photos wasCEOfor the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation Bruno Battistini.

Battistini confirmed heattended the event after being invited by the Gallant government,despite currently residing and working in New Brunswick.

"There was not only New Brunswick expatriates there," said Battistini. "There were number of business people ...from Montreal that were a part of that thing."

OpportunitiesNew Brunswick refused to comment on whetheror not the event's guest list was exclusivelyexpatriateNew Brunswickers.

The Montreal party was one of at least three similar events Premier Gallant hosted. Two others took place inEdmontonand Calgary.Those whoattended saythere weresimilarities to the Montreal gathering, including an open bar and partyfavours.

"They had the GanongChocolates and they had Moosehead beer,"said Meredith Gillis, a former St.Thomas University studentworking in St.Paul, Alberta.

Gillis,who is an on-air host at aprivate radio station, said her invitation came through aSTU alumni email address. She didn't, and still doesn't, think she's in a position to be a potential investor in the province.

"It didn't sound like a lot of the people I spoke to werenecessarilyin apositionwhere they could go to New Brunswick toinvest," said Gillis.

"I don't think people were really understanding that the government of New Brunswick was looking at it as a way of luring people back to New Brunswick," she said."I would be really curious actuallyto see if anybody that was there has decided to pack up shop and move to New Brunswick,or set something up in NewBrunswick."