The National Citizens Coalition provides the following in Tales from the Tax Trough,VI. http://www.nationalcitizens.ca
Federal Government “travel benefits”
The Ottawa Sun reported that in 2008 the Governor General Ms.Jean, cost taxpayers $843,461 on air flights in 18 months.
A $17,537 flight to Sydney, Australia for MP Maxime Bernier to go to the APEC meeting.
A $13,965 flight to Nairobi for MP Rona Ambrose for the UN Conference on climate change.
A $10,400 flight to Geneva for former MP David Emerson for WTO meetings.
A $ 8,668 flight to Brussels for MP Peter MacKay for one NATO meeting.
“The Perks”
George Radwanski, former privacy commissioner of Canada, was forced to resign in June, 2003 over a storm of allegations, including that he and his communications director, Dona Vallieres, racked up almost $500,000 in hospitality and travel expenses during a 24 month period.
The Speaker of the House comes with an array of perks:
– an apartment in the rear of the Centre Block with a full dining room and chef for hosting other MPs.
– a house in the Gatineau Hills.
– a car and driver.
– a $1 million budget that includes $167,000 for hospitality.
– a pay increase of $75,516 on top of $155,400 MP bae salary.
It’s pretty obvious that any understanding of the importance of responsibility is totally non-existant in many of the people we send to Ottawa. They do what they want and bury the consequences in excuses.
