For years I have argued that 24 Sussex Drive, an unattractive and not-very-historic mansion that has only been home to 10 of our 24 prime ministers, should be knocked down, sold or otherwise removed from the government books. The National Capital Commission’s (NCC) stated budget for renovations is completely absurd: $37 million in 2021 dollars, or $44 million adjusted for today. That buys a lot of new house in Ottawa, though Rideau Cottage is clearly good enough for Prime Minister Mark Carney, as it was for Justin Trudeau. (Frankly, I’ve never understood why PMs don’t just live full-time at Harrington Lake, as Kim Campbell did. It’s a half-hour drive from Parliament Hill!)