Manitoba’s U.S. trade rep paid $482K a year, contract shows

A former CTV and CBC reporter hired to serve as Manitoba’s trade envoy to the United States is taking home more than $480,000 Cdn a year in consulting fees, according to his contract with the province.

Richard Madan is being paid a consulting fee of $29,166.67 US per month for a total of $350,000 US per year, according to a signed contract obtained through freedom of information legislation.

That works out to a one-year consulting compensation of $481,600 Cdn, based on the Bank of Canada’s exchange rate on Sept. 17, 2025, the day Madan’s contract was signed.

The contract also shows Madan can claim up to $25,000 US a year for “hospitality and diplomacy expenses” and up to $1,000 US per month “for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses associated with operating in Washington, D.C.” That adds up to nearly $51,000 Cdn.

This $387,000 US total compensation package works out to $532,512 in Canadian funds, based on the Bank of Canada exchange rate on Sept. 17.

Premier Wab Kinew’s office said in October that Madan was earning a $387,000 “salary” in Canadian funds to strengthen Manitoba's ties with U.S. officials and ensure the province's interests are protected in trade agreements.

On Thursday, Kinew spokesperson Amy Tuckett-McGimpsey described the $387,000 figure as a “base salary” for Madan. 

She suggested the total consulting fee is meant to cover “expenses such as health insurance, pension, transportation costs and conference fees within a certain radius” as well as other expenses.

The contract governing Madan’s consulting fee described it as “an all-inclusive payment of remuneration to the consultant for the provision of the services and shall also include all expenses associated with travel and parking within Washington D.C. Capital Beltway.”

Madan’s contract also states the province will reimburse him for other out-of-pocket expenses if he receives prior written approval and an invoice. 

Madan declined to comment on his compensation.

The U.S. trade representative contract was signed between the province and an American corporation owned by Madan to cover a three-year period that began June 24, 2025 and ends on June 23, 2028.

After CBC News filed a freedom-of-information request for the contract, the province provided a redacted copy that did not include Madan’s consulting fee, the name of his corporation or the amount of money he was reimbursed for "reasonable" out-of-pocket expenses.

CBC News questioned those redactions under Manitoba's contract disclosure legislation and pointed out that Madan’s corporation can be located through U.S. company record searches. This led the province to revise the document to include the previously blacked-out figures.