Politic?

This is a blog dedicated to a personal interpretation of political news of the day. I attempt to be as knowledgeable as possible before commenting and committing my thoughts to a day's communication.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Really?

"As long as it can be determined to relate to Senate business or their duties as a senator, then that would be a legitimate expense. But, as a rule, I think that all activities that are not related to the Senate should not be charged to the Senate."
Senate Majority Leader Marjory LeBreton
That's one costly senatorial appointment, in Senator Pamela Wallin. Who might have imagined her upkeep in the Red Chamber would be so financially onerous? Although she claims her principal residence to be Saskatchewan, where she is co-owner of a family property there, there is much speculation about the veracity of that claim.

Senator Pamela Wallin, seen here Monday at a National Security and Defence committee meeting, blames Senate accounting rules for distorting her travel expense figures.
Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS 

She is most certainly embroiled in a brouhaha over her travel expenses which add up to $300,000 over the last three years, an extraordinary total, although Prime Minister Harper is of the opinion that this expense doesn't seem out of whack. Out of that $300,000, a mere $29,423 relates to travel between Ottawa and Saskatchewan which she claims as her residence.

Her travel, according to Senator Tkachuk seems "very unusual", albeit not illegal. And those expense accounts and charges are now undergoing an audit to determine just how unusual they may be. If any of those travel expenses are related to partisan political purposes they would most certainly be disallowed.

Far less attention appears to be pointed in the direction of Liberal Mac Harb who claims his rural property in Westmeath near Pembroke is his principal residence, has had him claim housing allowance in the sum of $36,338 over the past two years.  This, despite that he owns a few properties in Ottawa, and which is where he appears to spend most of his time, as he has done for decades.

He has even claimed $13,025 in travel expenses from his 'primary residence' to Ottawa in a two-year period. A curious and enterprising reporter for a local newspaper travelled to Westmeath to interview some residents there, including Senator Harb's closest neighbours. "I've never seen him. I've seen him on TV. Otherwise, I wouldn't know what he looks like."

The owner of a variety store a few kilometres from Senator Harb's home that he claims as his primary residence, permitting him to claim housing allowance outside the 100-kilometer cut-off distance from Ottawa, has never seen the man, nor has the next closest store and gas station. The Beachburg Family Restaurant lunch crowd looked at his photograph and none there had ever seen him.   

Ah, the Senate of Canada, with its hard-working and probity-minded members. 

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