Stephen Harper’s Senate spending spree gouges hardworking Canadian taxpayers
Robert Peffers
Thu 05 Nov 2009
Senators’ expenses up 220 percent, New Democrat analysis shows
OTTAWA – An analysis by Canada’s New Democrats has found Senators are
charging taxpayers almost 220 per cent more for expenses while working
less and less. Stephen Harper promised to end the practice of handing
out Senate seats as party favours but his broken promise is costing
taxpayers every day.
“The cost of Stephen Harper’s broken promise is now over $177 million,
accounting for salaries, office and travel expenses for 27 Senators.
In some cases, these Senators will sit for 41 years,” said New
Democrat MP Peter Stoffer (Sackville—Eastern Shore). “And what are
those Senators doing? Turning Mike Duffy into spam – it’s partisan
work for public money.”
A never before released analysis of Senators’ expenses and attendance
compiled by the New Democrats shows that Senators are charging more,
while in some cases missing more than half the days the Senate sits.
In the last fiscal year, Senators charged $19.5 million in travel and
office expenses, that’s 219 per cent more than they charged 14 years
ago – a rate three times greater than the increase in overall
government spending. Similarly, the costs of running the Senate have
increased 94 per cent, 35 per cent more than the cost of the elected
(and growing) House of Commons.
“The cost to taxpayers to maintain the comfortable lifestyle of these
well-connected Liberal and Conservative friends has skyrocketed,” said
Stoffer. “Yet Canadians don’t see Senators doing more work than they
did 14 years ago. In fact, many of the same unelected Senators are
charging you to pay for their lifestyle, while they aren’t even
showing up to work.”
Stoffer pointed to some examples:
Conservative Norman Atkins resigned in June – yet charged $7,000 per
day for the 26 days he attended.
Conservative Gerry St. Germain missed over 20 sitting days – yet had
the 4th highest per diem expenses of any Senator.
Liberal Sharon Carstairs missed almost 30 per cent of Senate sittings
yet racked up $7,000 in expenses for every day she attended.
Liberal Mobina Jaffer missed 20 sitting days yet charged taxpayers
$7,882 per day she sat.
Independent Liberal Raymond Lavigne had the worst attendance – yet
taxpayers paid $52,000 a day for the two days he attended.
“Despite promising to be different, Stephen Harper is now hooked on
patronage, just like the Liberals. As a result, our Prime Minister has
thrown away any credibility he had on ethics and accountability,”
Stoffer said.
http://www.ndp.ca/press/stoffer-slams-harper-s-senate-spending-spree