Public Disclosure of MP Expenses

[robert_viera]

I was reading yet another article on ten-percenters and was lamenting the fact that we likely won't see the 2009-2010 figures until it's almost 2011, even though the fiscal year ends March 31, 2010. Even though the reports are prepared in May, they aren't released to the public until they're tabled in the House of Commons. Here are the dates on which the MP expense reports have been tabled:

Friday, October 10, 1997

Friday, June 12, 1998

Thursday, June 10, 1999

Thursday, June 15, 2000

Monday, June 11, 2001

Friday, June 7, 2002

Tuesday, November 4, 2003

Thursday, October 21, 2004

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

As you can see, in recent years the expenses were not tabled until as much as 8 months after the end of the fiscal year. In my city, municipal councillors' expenses are reported on almost immediately following the fiscal year end. Why do we allow MPs to make us wait so much longer?

Edited December 14, 2009 by robert_viera

[eyeball]

Why do we allow MPs to make us wait so much longer?

We have little or no say over what our government does and enough Canadians (it only takes a few) are quite happy with this to ensure we likely never will.

[ToadBrother]

We have little or no say over what our government does and enough Canadians (it only takes a few) are quite happy with this to ensure we likely never will.

Have you asked your MP to disclose his or her expenses? Have you got fellow voters to do so?

To be honest with you, I don't think Canada has the same problem that has pretty much gripped the British Parliament for the last year or so (all kinds of extraordinary shenanigans like writing off houses twice, and so on). Still, if this is a concern to you, I think the place to start is with your local representative.

Or do you just skip to Go To Directly Jail, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200?

[Mr.Canada]

Have you asked your MP to disclose his or her expenses? Have you got fellow voters to do so?

To be honest with you, I don't think Canada has the same problem that has pretty much gripped the British Parliament for the last year or so (all kinds of extraordinary shenanigans like writing off houses twice, and so on). Still, if this is a concern to you, I think the place to start is with your local representative.

Or do you just skip to Go To Directly Jail, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200?

I get my MP's all the time. He's very forth coming about it. Very approachable very friendly. My MP is Michael Chong Wellington-Halton Hills riding.

[eyeball]

Have you asked your MP to disclose his or her expenses? Have you got fellow voters to do so?

What's the point of chiselling away at such an insignificant little pile beans in the scheme of other far more pressing problems that are plagued by opacity?

I guess some people might be impressed by the blistering pace of incremental progress such a disclosure might have towards real transparency and accountability, but not me.

Or do you just skip to Go To Directly Jail, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200?

I imagine Getting out of Jail Free, Taking a Walk on the Boardwalk or Parking for Free is a better deal.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Isn't the real question here what and how much these representatives can claim at all?

[ToadBrother]

What's the point of chiselling away at such an insignificant little pile beans in the scheme of other far more pressing problems that are plagued by opacity?

The point is, as with any project, you start with the basics, with those things that you can most easily attempt to accomplish.

It strikes me that your notion of the democratic process is having someone else do all the work while you sit back and take on the air of righteously apathetic citizen. You don't even have the wherewithal to pick up a pen and write a letter to your MP. And yet you want someone else to dig out a whole mountain.

[robert_viera]

In 2008-2009 these expenses total $132,580,489. That's more than an 'insignificant pile (of) little beans' in my opinion. The expense reports allow constituents to gauge their MP's ability to manage taxpayers' funds even if the MP is only a backbencher.

As for MPs who have voluntarily disclosed their expenses prior to the tabling of the expense report, I am only aware of two: Michelle Simson and Mike Wallace.

[eyeball]

It strikes me that your notion of the democratic process is having someone else do all the work while you sit back and take on the air of righteously apathetic citizen.

Did you miss this?

[robert_viera]

I came across a document listing the 2009-2010 expenses of all Liberal MPs on the Liberal web site:

http://www.liberal.ca/newsroom/blog/public-disclosure-of-individual-liberal-party-mp-expenditures-%E2%80%93-april-1-2009-to-march-31-2010/

The information seems to have been released in June, but I don't recall seeing this reported anywhere. Will all the media attention focused on the Auditor General and the Board of Internal Economy's reluctance to invite her to look at House of Commons and MP expenses, I'm surprised this doesn't seem to have gotten any attention or put pressure on the other parties to release the expenses of their MPs.

[DrGreenthumb]

I came across a document listing the 2009-2010 expenses of all Liberal MPs on the Liberal web site:

http://www.liberal.ca/newsroom/blog/public-disclosure-of-individual-liberal-party-mp-expenditures-%E2%80%93-april-1-2009-to-march-31-2010/

The information seems to have been released in June, but I don't recall seeing this reported anywhere. Will all the media attention focused on the Auditor General and the Board of Internal Economy's reluctance to invite her to look at House of Commons and MP expenses, I'm surprised this doesn't seem to have gotten any attention or put pressure on the other parties to release the expenses of their MPs.

The Conservatives sure ain't going to want to release theirs. I have been flooded with their householders and 10%ers this year.

[robert_viera]

MP Expenditures for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010 are now online:

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/PublicDisclosure/MemberExpenditures.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3

[William Ashley]

MP Expenditures for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010 are now online:

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/PublicDisclosure/MemberExpenditures.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3

I think MP's have way too many expense allowances - their job is suppose to be representing their constituents concerns. They have an office for that - their job isn't to market their parties opinions. Let them work out of their salaries represent the costs of office in that. Giving them discretionary funds just leads to campaigning on the public dime. I hate partisanism they should be representing the public not their personal supporters.

But as far as reporting. Yeah time for MP's to stand up and post their rexpenses item by item on their webistes.

Edited October 28, 2010 by William Ashley

[eyeball]

But as far as reporting. Yeah time for MP's to stand up and post their rexpenses item by item on their webistes.

I'd rather that MP's and especially the one's that make it to Cabinet, post recordings of the meetings they have with lobbyists and senior government officials.

I suppose their expenses would be useful information but probably not as much as their emails and other correspondence.

Even just a 10% sample of any of the above, picked at random and made public at the beginning of each week would make a world of difference in terms of how people view their MP's.

[robert_viera]

Here are the MPs who spent the most on ten-percenters:

Brian Jean (Fort McMurray-Athabasca): $116,423

Patrick Brown (Barrie): $115,472.17

Laurie Hawn (Edmonton Centre): $114,534.56

Peter Kent (Thornhill): $112,684.50

Guy Lauzon (Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry): $111,509.31

All Conservatives.

[robert_viera]

Total Expenditures for 2009-2010: Top 15

$575,287.55 Dosanjh, Hon. Ujjal

$576,661.92 Lévesque, Yvon

$578,608.25 Brown, Patrick

$581,930.58 Dhaliwal, Sukh

$582,712.54 Davies, Libby

$587,471.17 Jean, Brian

$588,048.09 Rickford, Greg

$589,994.00 Bevington, Dennis

$604,053.10 Weston, John

$610,104.88 Richardson, Lee

$618,338.07 Hill, Hon. Jay

$621,474.02 Hawn, Laurie

$628,913.68 Layton, Hon. Jack

$637,190.14 Cullen, Nathan

$839,092.15 Fletcher, Hon. Steven

[robert_viera]

2009-2010 Employees' salaries and service contracts: Top 15

$258,057.39 Watson, Jeff

$258,604.54 Chong, Hon. Michael

$261,489.35 Abbott, Hon. Jim

$262,006.83 Reid, Scott

$262,240.95 Masse, Brian

$262,441.01 Crowder, Jean

$263,333.03 Rickford, Greg

$264,989.31 Breitkreuz, Garry

$266,432.75 Asselin, Gérard

$268,799.88 Casson, Rick

$269,669.32 Jean, Brian

$271,427.06 Bevington, Dennis

$271,443.78 Angus, Charlie

$271,724.57 Bélanger, Hon. Mauril

$347,972.31 Fletcher, Hon. Steven

[robert_viera]

2009-2010 Travel - Member, designated traveller and dependants: Top 15

$149,278.92 Sorenson, Kevin

$152,276.33 Richardson, Lee

$152,611.56 Abbott, Hon. Jim

$153,439.06 Strahl, Hon. Chuck

$155,331.73 Hill, Hon. Jay

$155,659.11 Prentice, Hon. Jim

$156,655.40 Dosanjh, Hon. Ujjal

$158,372.72 Harris, Richard

$160,505.35 Cuzner, Rodger

$168,991.48 Bevington, Dennis

$180,247.87 Russell, Todd

$184,970.24 Storseth, Brian

$190,416.69 Cullen, Nathan

$200,185.35 Fletcher, Hon. Steven

$213,082.01 Foote, Judy

[robert_viera]

2009-2010 Travel - Employees: Top 15

$30,625.96 Clarke, Rob

$30,901.75 Pearson, Glen

$32,354.46 Shea, Hon. Gail

$32,465.45 Cullen, Nathan

$35,068.21 Rota, Anthony

$35,503.74 Minna, Hon. Maria

$36,045.81 Payne, LaVar

$38,601.22 Ashton, Niki

$45,800.30 Blais, Raynald

$46,483.98 Andrews, Scott

$49,825.72 Russell, Todd

$56,999.42 Rickford, Greg

$62,247.95 Ignatieff, Michael

$80,653.77 Duceppe, Gilles

$99,359.34 Layton, Hon. Jack

[robert_viera]

2009-2010 Member's accommodation and per diem expenses: Top 15

$25,468.00 (89 MPs tied)

[robert_viera]

2009-2010 Hospitality and events: Top 15

$9,395.25 Dechert, Bob

$9,406.25 Devolin, Barry

$9,409.40 Bouchard, Robert

$9,449.70 Guimond, Michel

$9,457.18 André, Guy

$9,465.37 Andrews, Scott

$9,467.55 Faille, Meili

$9,468.00 Gaudet, Roger

$9,468.00 Lunn, Hon. Gary

$9,487.97 Paquette, Pierre

$9,710.50 Laforest, Jean-Yves

$9,871.32 Harris, Richard

$9,874.13 Brown, Patrick

$10,633.00 Lévesque, Yvon

$11,307.24 Pearson, Glen

[robert_viera]

2009-2010 Advertising: Top 15

$30,538.71 Yelich, Hon. Lynne

$30,576.48 DeBellefeuille, Claude

$30,591.60 André, Guy

$30,626.63 Lebel, Hon. Denis

$30,635.10 Vincent, Robert

$30,918.88 Blaney, Steven

$31,136.96 Bellavance, André

$31,310.07 Guimond, Michel

$31,504.00 Bouchard, Robert

$31,573.63 Gaudet, Roger

$31,760.90 Laforest, Jean-Yves

$32,877.61 Laframboise, Mario

$33,046.29 Aglukkaq, Hon. Leona

$33,846.54 Clarke, Rob

$35,922.65 Lévesque, Yvon

[robert_viera]

2009-2010 Printing - Householders: Top 15

$27,326.95 Bélanger, Hon. Mauril

$27,540.25 Lemieux, Pierre

$27,594.43 St-Cyr, Thierry

$27,652.48 Trudeau, Justin

$28,045.73 Thibeault, Glenn

$28,083.32 Guergis, Hon. Helena

$28,594.44 Duncan, Linda

$28,779.31 Stanton, Bruce

$30,021.79 Weston, John

$32,651.61 Folco, Raymonde

$32,728.45 Hawn, Laurie

$34,446.06 Martin, Tony

$36,556.72 Murphy, Brian

$37,094.29 Mendes, Alexandra

$38,021.72 Jennings, Hon. Marlene

[robert_viera]

2009-2010 Printing - Ten percenters: Top 15

$80,372.84 Van Loan, Hon. Peter

$84,134.34 Shory, Devinder

$84,679.33 Galipeau, Royal

$86,575.76 Duncan, John

$87,251.71 Albrecht, Harold

$87,407.26 Weston, John

$88,264.28 Richardson, Lee

$89,539.30 Toews, Hon. Vic

$92,402.41 Goodyear, Hon. Gary

$93,363.04 Benoit, Leon

$111,509.31 Lauzon, Guy

$112,684.50 Kent, Hon. Peter

$114,534.56 Hawn, Laurie

$115,472.17 Brown, Patrick

$116,423.43 Jean, Brian

[robert_viera]

2009-2010 Printing - Stationery and printing-related expenses: Top 15

$9,357.25 Poilievre, Pierre

$9,367.24 Goodyear, Hon. Gary

$9,627.25 Lavallée, Carole

$9,700.93 Freeman, Carole

$9,794.89 Hiebert, Russ

$10,406.33 Plamondon, Louis

$10,496.39 Chow, Olivia

$10,846.90 Harper, Right Hon. Stephen

$11,343.80 Glover, Shelly

$12,516.06 Finley, Hon. Diane

$12,705.46 Aglukkaq, Hon. Leona

$14,004.57 Prentice, Hon. Jim

$14,608.92 Strahl, Hon. Chuck

$16,805.84 Beaudin, Josée

$23,810.24 Lebel, Hon. Denis