Entitlement versus Honour

"It's not a good sign to see the leader of the Opposition turning his nose up at a free flight. We've long expressed concerns about how generous the political party tax credit is. If you give $100 to the Conservatives or the NDP, you get $75 taken off your taxes, which is three times as much as if you give money to the Salvation Army or the Cancer Society."
"The political parties tell you they need this money to promote democracy, but when you see the money going into [expensive] flights from South Africa when the Government of Canada has an Airbus there for you ... "
Gregory Thomas, federal director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation

"I felt I had obliged myself to be there. Therefore the only option was if I took a commercial flight that Wednesday evening to arrive in New York first thing on Thursday morning."
"I paid for it. I felt I should incur the cost. I could have maybe charged it to the Polish government, but I felt I had not made that arrangement [beforehand] and it wasn't fair to do that to them at that point. I couldn't go back on the Airbus when it was going back, so I felt the best thing was to pay for the flight personally, which I did."
Liberal Member of Parliament Irwin Cotler

"I understand there would be a story here if [he] flew back on the MP's budget. I would understand it, but I would still defend it depending on what he [NDP Opposition leader Thomas Mulcair] came back for. In this case, we didn't. It was straight-up paid for by the [NDP] party."
NDP spokesman George Soule

The Canadian Press ... Harper, ex-PMs arrive in South Africa

Infamously, then-Alberta premier Allison Redford charged the Alberta government $45,000 for her attendance in South Africa of world-famed Nelson Mandela's funeral. She had altered plans to travel in the government's Airbus along with other politicians. The charges were for flights to and from Ottawa; first class commercial flight home; another $20,000 for an aide to accompany her. The succeeding scandal when these expenses were revealed ultimately led to her having to resign the premiership.

Thomas Mulcair, on the other hand, also part of an inclusive government delegation of Canadian officials who flew together on an Airbus to honour the late South African president and world notable, decided he would take a several-hours-earlier flight in his return to Canada after the funeral rather than wait for the Airbus flight. That decision was made on the basis of several prior-scheduled events in Ottawa (including the annual NDP media Christmas party) Mr. Mulcair felt compelled not to miss.

So the party that he heads, paid the additional expense. Despite that the entire cost for the delegation would be covered by the federal government for this unusual event. To return several hours earlier than scheduled for the Airbus, Mr. Mulcair spent party funding to enable that earlier return. The federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation took exception to shrugging off the cost in that manner, pointing out that party funds are subsidized by taxpayers through tax deductions.

Member of Parliament Irwin Cotler who also took a commercial flight rather than await the departure of the Airbus did so because he had agreed previously to attend a seminar on genocide staged at the United Nations in New York by the Polish government. His commercial flight cost came to $6,188.48, which he paid for with his personal Visa, with no intention of seeking reimbursement from the government or from his party.