AG and the MP's

[Topaz]

A liberal senator is thinking that perhaps the AG should also look into ALL MP's expenses, but the Tories and the NDP are against it and the Green leader says she agrees with it and will try to bring it forward in the House. I think most Canadians would also agree with this and not mind the cost. I personally think maybe it would be a better idea to pay the MP's and Senators a certain wage and from that THEY pay ALL expenses, then they can do whatever they want. Thoughts? http://www.hilltimes.com/news/news/2014/03/03/fur-flies-between-mps-senators-as-ags-upper-chamber-audit-rages-on/37669?mc=DIFw%2BMziuumjz2FzDF7jgVpVSiTr%2F13bsmI3iFaLlLs%3Dμ=cnkO7%2BSgEuIKAy7vLQO%2F%2BdftXfog8D697AMKH8k6J8I%3D

Edited March 3, 2014 by Topaz

[Big Guy]

I would prefer if they have to post a detail of all of their expenses on line. Let the voters decide on the "appropriateness" of how their dollars are spent.

[The_Squid]

There is nothing wrong with auditing expenses... the line by line stuff I can do without. It doesn't need to be a massive public report that goes through it with a fine tooth comb.

But everyone's expenses are audited ad scrutinized. MPs should be no different.

[Keepitsimple]

A liberal senator is thinking that perhaps the AG should also look into ALL MP's expenses, but the Tories and the NDP are against it and the Green leader says she agrees with it and will try to bring it forward in the House.

I think you've mis-represented things just a tad. These Liberal Senators have still not posted their own expenses to the level of detail that we all expect - making Senator Downe's musings nothing short a hypocritical attempt to deflect criticisms of the Senate and his own Liberal Party (I know - they are not Liberals).

A CBC examination of federal Liberal Party documents released Monday reveals that key details are still missing, eight months after the party announced it would make its travel expenses transparent, as it began a release of travel claims by senators who were formerly part of its caucus.

The disclosure does not include travel costs incurred by spouses — who are permitted to travel business class to Ottawa with senators at public expense — and provides less overall information than what was previously issued by Conservative senators.

......skip

Conservative senators started posting their travel costs, including for their spouses, online last fall. Liberal MP John McCallum said his party chose not to post spousal expense claims because "we decided to do what the ministers currently do, which is to release MP travel and hospitality." He added that the party will eventually post those spousal costs.

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/02/25/senate-expenses-liberal-canada_n_4852039.html

Edited March 3, 2014 by Keepitsimple

[waldo]

Oct 15, 2013 - Liberals Lead Way on Transparency and Accountability by Publicly Disclosing Expenses

as I understand, caucus members are posting expenses on a quarterly basis. The liberal.ca site has a pull-down to select accordingly... I randomly pulled several names and checked for the disclosure of expenses. Each respective member has a link on their page titled 'Proactive Disclosure'. Of those I selected, the links worked and provided expenses (for the most recent past quarter since initiation)

example: Marc Garneau

[Spiderfish]

as I understand, caucus members are posting expenses on a quarterly basis.

It's encouraging to see the Liberals attitude towards transparency may be changing. A little too late for Michelle Simson, but she doesn't appear to be someone who holds a grudge.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-expense-plan-good-baby-step-says-ex-mp-1.1858162

Michelle Simson, a former Liberal MP who was punished by her own party for posting her expenses online, thinks Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's push for his party's MPs and senators to list expenses on their websites doesn't go far enough.

Simson, who was defeated in the last election, said when she refused to stop posting in 2010, she was forbidden by the Liberal Party whip from asking questions in question period and prevented from giving a member's statement, which meant she couldn't honour a soldier in her riding who was killed in Afghanistan.

[waldo]

It's encouraging to see the Liberals attitude towards transparency may be changing. A little too late for Michelle Simson, but she doesn't appear to be someone who holds a grudge.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-expense-plan-good-baby-step-says-ex-mp-1.1858162

no comment on the absence of this same (current) level of transparency from Harper Conservatives? Of course, your linked reference pre-dates Trudeau as leader, right?

[Spiderfish]

no comment on the absence of this same (current) level of transparency from Harper Conservatives? Of course, your linked reference pre-dates Trudeau as leader, right?

Obviously, the article indicated Iggy was in charge at the time and it was under his command that both Simson and Scott Andrews were sent to the penalty box. This reflection from Ignatieff outlines the tremendous difficulty he faced in trying to accomplish this incredible feat, and where he ultimately failed. Perhaps the Conservatives are simply in the process of calculating how they are going to "maintain caucus unity on the subject".

At that time, the party was led by Michael Ignatieff, who was party leader at the time and now teaches at the University of Toronto, said Wednesday he is happy with the new approach.

"The point is you have to have the caucus behind you — i.e., everyone agreed about how and what to disclose — and I'm delighted the leader [Trudeau] has achieved that," he said in an email to CBC,

"It means everyone discloses together in the same format, and that's the right way to maintain caucus unity on the subject."

Edited March 3, 2014 by Spiderfish

[waldo]

Perhaps the Conservatives are simply in the process of calculating how they are going to "maintain caucus unity on the subject".

as the governing party, Harper Conservative expense spending would be expected to be high(er). However, perhaps their reluctance to provide expense transparency hinges on too many $16 dollar glasses of orange juice in that mix...

[Spiderfish]

as the governing party, Harper Conservative expense spending would be expected to be high(er). However, perhaps their reluctance to provide expense transparency hinges on too many $16 dollar glasses of orange juice in that mix...

The Liberal expense disclosure doesn't break expenses down to anywhere near that level of detail, the price of their oj would be unknown even if the Conservatives followed suit. I would not be against a full detailed audit of all MP spending.