Expense

Saturday August 20, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Saturday August 20, 2016 Health Minister Jane Philpott accused of misleading Parliament on limo tab Health Minister Jane Philpott is facing accusations that she misled the House of Commons by failing to disclose controversial limousine travel she charged to taxpayers earlier this year. In a response to a question placed on the order paper by Conservative MP Dan Albas about the use of limousines, Philpott's department supplied an answer, signed by the minister, categorically denying any of the luxury vehicles were rented. "With regard to government travel, for the period of Nov. 3, 2015, to April 22, 2016, the minister of health did not use rented limousines while on official business, within Canada or elsewhere," the department wrote in its answer tabled in the House of Commons in June. However, Philpott has found herself in the opposition crosshairs this week after it was revealed that she charged taxpayers $1,700 for transportation around the Greater Toronto Area on March 31, using a limousine service owned by someone who campaigned for her in the federal election. The travel, to four events ranging from Hamilton to Markham and Toronto, took place during the time frame covered by the order paper question. Philpott's office has so far failed to provide any explanation for the discrepancy between her response tabled in the House of Commons and her expense accounts. In an e-mail late to CBC News late Thursday night, her office said "the minister did not, and has not used a limousine.Ó However, spokesman Andrew MacKendrick did not respond to e-mails and phone calls from CBC News to explain what kind of vehicle the limousine service provided. (Source: CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jane-philpott-limousine-government-spending-parliament-1.3727430 Canada, entitlements, expense, scandal, Jane Philpott, honeymoon, Liberal, Justin Trudeau, ceremony, Olympic

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday August 20, 2016

Health Minister Jane Philpott accused of misleading Parliament on limo tab

Health Minister Jane Philpott is facing accusations that she misled the House of Commons by failing to disclose controversial limousine travel she charged to taxpayers earlier this year.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator,Ê Wednesday April 25, 2012 Bev Oda apologizes for swanky hotel stay International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda said sorry Tuesday for charging taxpayers with an expensive hotel stay in London, EnglandÊlast year, but her apology failed to satisfy critics. "The expenses are unacceptable, should never have been charged to taxpayers," Oda said in the House of Commons in response to aÊquestion from interim Liberal leader Bob Rae. "I have repaid the costs associated with [the] changing of hotels and I unreservedlyÊapologize." Oda's travel expenses caused controversy on Monday when it was revealed that she was originally booked to stay at a hotel where she wasÊattending a conference last June, but had her staff rebook her at the swanky Savoy hotel, where her stay cost her about $665 per night. TheÊtotal bill for her three-day stay including the room and room service was $1,995. The room charges included an orange juice that cost $16. Oda also hired a car and driver, at a cost of about $1,000 per day, to bring her to the hotel she was originally supposed to stay at andÊincurred a cancellation charge for refusing to stay at the Grange St. Paul's hotel. After the Canadian Press broke the story on Monday, Oda's office said she would personally cover the tab for the difference in costÊbetween the two hotels, the cancellation fee, and the orange juice. In total, she repaid $1,353.81. "She only did this because she got caught," NDP House leader Nathan Cullen said Tuesday. (Source: CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/bev-oda-apologizes-for-swanky-hotel-stay-1.1169374

April 25, 2012

April 25, 2012

In a response to a question placed on the order paper by Conservative MP Dan Albas about the use of limousines, Philpott’s department supplied an answer, signed by the minister, categorically denying any of the luxury vehicles were rented.

“With regard to government travel, for the period of Nov. 3, 2015, to April 22, 2016, the minister of health did not use rented limousines while on official business, within Canada or elsewhere,” the department wrote in its answer tabled in the House of Commons in June.

However, Philpott has found herself in the opposition crosshairs this week after it was revealed that she charged taxpayers $1,700 for transportation around the Greater Toronto Area on March 31, using a limousine service owned by someone who campaigned for her in the federal election.

The travel, to four events ranging from Hamilton to Markham and Toronto, took place during the time frame covered by the order paper question.

Philpott’s office has so far failed to provide any explanation for the discrepancy between her response tabled in the House of Commons and her expense accounts.

In an e-mail late to CBC News late Thursday night, her office said “the minister did not, and has not used a limousine.”

However, spokesman Andrew MacKendrick did not respond to e-mails and phone calls from CBC News to explain what kind of vehicle the limousine service provided. (Source: CBC News)

Published in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix

Published in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix

FullSizeRenderLetter to the Editor, Hamilton Spectator, August 25, 2016

Spec loves to unfairly skewer Trudeau

Dependably Trudeau and Dr. Jane Philpott, busy limo-using cabinet minister, are ridiculed under an Olympic closing ceremony, end of federal Liberal honeymoon entitlement guise.

Might we expect a cartoon that captures the Liberal’s cabinet meeting last weekend? It was held at a dormitory at Sudbury’s Laurentian University and surely saved quite a bit of money. And that the limo-indulgence was accepted as money is being returned. A complex challenge; much easier to jump at the easy ones. 

But, corporately at least, The Spec, to its credit, endorsed Trudeau so surely at least we can expect a bit of balance. Then again, how to deal with Trudeau’s presence at the last performance of the Tragically Hip. A positive cartoon?

Richard Ring, Grimsby

 

Thursday April 2, 2015

Thursday April 2, 2015Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday April 2, 2015

At least 40 current, former senators asked to account for questionable expense claims

At least 40 current and former senators have received confidential letters from Auditor General Michael Ferguson about questionable expense claims, and one of them has been asked to account for more than $100,000, sources have told CTV News.

The senators were tight-lipped Tuesday when asked about the letters — and whether they’ve been asked to pay back any money.

[slideshow_deploy id=’1787’]

Other senators have quietly repaid the money.

“If a senator is found with a … simple mistake, a good-faith mistake, it’s his decision to reimburse or not,” said Conservative Sen. Claude Carignan, the government Senate leader.

Insiders said Conservative Sen. Dan Lang gave back money after auditors questioned a flight that appeared to be unrelated to Senate business, but he would not confirm that to CTV News.

“No I will answer for my audit when the audit is completed, just like I made a commitment to the auditor general,” he said.

Sources said Liberal Sen. Serge Joyal also had a suspicious expense claim, but Joyal refused to discuss the matter with CTV News.

“Well I think this is a decision that takes place between the auditor general and ourselves individually,” he said.

He repeated that comment when asked whether he had paid any money back.

Auditors are matching travel and expense claims with phone records. They’ve been combing through the expenses of 117 current and former senators who sat in the red chamber from April 2001 to March 2013. (Source: CTV News)

Published on National Newswatch, The Winnipeg Free Press, Edmonton Journal, and Nanaimo Daily News

 

Friday, May 17, 2013

Friday, May 17, 2013By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday, May 17, 2013

Senator Mike Duffy’s actions under scrutiny

There was lots of activity around Senator Mike Duffy’s home in Cavendish, P.E.I. today but he wasn’t interested in talking.

The New Democrats have asked the Senate ethics officer to launch a probe into Duffy’s repayment of more than $90,000 in improperly claimed expenses — money that was given to him by Nigel Wright, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s chief of staff.

The senator has become the brunt of many jokes and outright frustration since the news broke that Wright had written Duffy a cheque from his personal account to repay the improperly claimed Senate living expenses.

“The public looks up to these people…and when they’re not displaying behavior that is becoming to that, one has to be disappointed,” says P.E.I. cottage owner Andy Weeks.

“There’s lots of people on P.E.I. that he could have picked as a senator, rather than somebody who only lives here part time,” says Cavendish business manager Rowan Caseley.

Caseley says the personal cheque written by the prime minister’s chief of staff to repay Duffy’s improperly claimed housing expenses doesn’t pass the smell test.

“That’s not like a $10 gift, or a $100 gift,” he says. “Ninety-thousand dollars is a lot of money and anybody that’s given $90,000, I’d have to put it up for suspicion.”

Duffy is one of three senators whose living expenses have come under fire over allegations they were claiming tens of thousands of dollars for accommodations in the Ottawa area under the Senate’s housing allowance rule – intended to compensate those whose primary residences are more than 100 kilometres from the capital. (Source: CTV News)

[slideshow_deploy id=’1787’]

SOCIAL MEDIA