senatechamber-chocolatedisco-ncnd2.0-web_2-1.jpg
senatechamber-chocolatedisco-ncnd2.0-web_2-1.jpg This article is more than 9 years old

Senators: entitled to their entitlements

It’s remarkable that senators, in the middle of a spending scandal that has come to define the Upper Chamber, would be so brazen in the dingwalling of taxpayers. But that’s how bad things have gotten in the Senate, governed by a policy that asks senators to exercise “sound judgment” when making travel-related decisions. CBC News […]

It’s remarkable that senators, in the middle of a spending scandal that has come to define the Upper Chamber, would be so brazen in the dingwalling of taxpayers.

But that’s how bad things have gotten in the Senate, governed by a policy that asks senators to exercise “sound judgment” when making travel-related decisions.

CBC News combed through the voluntary disclosure of expense reports of Conservative senators over a five-week period last fall (Liberal senators at the time, now Senate Liberals, have not posted their expenses), and found plenty of evidence of entitled senators.

“Three of the top four Tory travel spenders in the Senate claimed a total of $24,011.79 on business class airfares for themselves and another $13,719.21 on business class flights for their spouses,” CBC News discovered.

Some highlights:

  • Ontario Senator Don Meredith has access to free executive class rail travel to Ottawa from Toronto on Via Rail, but opted instead to fly executive class by air, paying as much as $1,400 per pop. At that price, former Conservative cabinet minister Bev Oda could buy a glass of $16 orange juice every day for 87 days.
  • Alberta Senator Scott Tannas of Calgary billed $12,000 to taxpayers for a two-day trip to Ottawa for himself and his wife. (The Senate policy stipulates spouses and family members can travel with senators for “‘family reunion‘ after a lengthy time apart.”) At that price, Oda could buy that same glass of $16 orange juice every day for 750 days. “I must be the prize winner on the flight for getting to buy the most expensive seat,” an “embarrassed” Tannas told CBC.

Has the dingwalling of taxpayers finally “come back to haunt entitled Tories”?

Photo: chocolatediscoUsed under a Creative Commons BY 2.0 licence.

Our journalism is powered by readers like you.

We’re an award-winning non-profit news organization that covers topics like social and economic inequality, big business and labour, and right-wing extremism.

Help us build so we can bring to light stories that don’t get the attention they deserve from Canada’s big corporate media outlets.

 

Donate
PressProgress
PressProgress is an award-winning non-profit news organization focused on uncovering and unpacking the news through original investigative and explanatory journalism.

Most Shared

thumb-2023-03-08-BC-workers-recovery News

Ontario Budget 2023: Doug Ford Pulled a Sneaky Move to Quietly Cut Education

Related Stories

News

BC Workers are Being Forced Into Mandatory Drug Testing and Private ‘Recovery’ Programs

View the post
News

Budget 2023: Dental Care Plan Will Cover Millions More Uninsured Canadians Than Originally Estimated

View the post
News

Conservative Party Casts Doubt on Qualifications of Women Cabinet Ministers

View the post

Explainers

Human rights & inclusion

Amira Elghawaby

Here’s The Problem With Hoping Corporations Will Be Socially and Environmentally Responsible On Their Own

View the post
Politics & strategy

Jeremy Appel

The battle of the PACs in Calgary’s municipal election

View the post
Politics & strategy

Jeremy Appel

27 Different Candidates are Vying to be Calgary’s Mayor. Here Are the Biggest Issues at Stake.

View the post
Newspapers always have a business section – why not a labour section? We’ve launched a free newsletter covering labour issues in Canada.
Get Canadian Labour News You Won't Find in Corporate Newspapers.
We’ve launched a free newsletter covering labour issues in Canada.
Get Canadian Labour News You Won't Find in Corporate Newspapers