Householders and Ten Percenters Conservatives spent $6.25 million on them in 2008-2009
#1
Posted 07 November 2009 - 08:30 AM
Response #1 is of course true, but it does not address the degree to which the various parties use or abuse this privilege. Response #2 may also be true, but tells us little about the overall picture. Response #3 usually comes from those sending-out the mailings or their supporters.
On Wednesday, MP expense figures for the fiscal year 2008-2009 were made available on the web site of the Parliament of Canada:
http://www.parl.gc.c...2008-2009-e.pdf
The 2008-2009 expense figures show that a total of $10,062,553 was spent by MPs on these mailings, which come under the heading "Printing". Of this, Conservative MPs were responsible for $6,255,368 or 62% of total spending on these mailings. Liberal MPs spent $1,591,684 (15.8%). Bloc MPs spent $1,092,690 (10.9%). NDP MPs spent $1,100,016 (10.9%). Independent MPs spent $22,801 (0.2%). Conservative MPs held only 41.2% of the seats in the House of Commons in the first part of the fiscal year and 46.4% of seats after the election.
If those figures don't convince you that Conservative MPs are disproportionately (ab)using these mailings, consider these figures: Of the MPs with the highest "Printing" expenses, 61 out of the top 65 are Conservatives. The average spending on these mailings by Conservative MPs was $38,853.22. The average for the rest of the MPs was $17,874.14. If you consider the average spending on "Printing" of only the MPs who served for the full fiscal year the disparity is even greater: $49,415.56 for Conservative MPs vs. $22,438.18 for all other MPs.
#2
Posted 07 November 2009 - 08:48 AM
"A man is no more entitled to an opinion for which he cannot account than he does for a pint of beer for which he cannot pay" - Anonymous
#3
Posted 07 November 2009 - 08:52 AM
The best possible move on the part of a party that wishes to make a dent in the apathetic demographic is to tap the internet, not just TV. TV is much more expensive and reaches smaller audiences.
This post has been edited by Jerry J. Fortin: 07 November 2009 - 08:53 AM
#4
Posted 07 November 2009 - 09:41 AM
Moonbox, on 07 November 2009 - 11:37 AM, said:
It may seem like small potatoes when the taxpayer is footing the bill, but if the Conservative Party had to pay for what their MPs spent on these partisan mailings it would have used up 30% of the funds the Conservative Party raised in the same period.
#5
Posted 07 November 2009 - 09:51 AM
Jerry J. Fortin, on 07 November 2009 - 11:41 AM, said:
I don't think 'smart' is the word the average taxpayer would use to describe this kind of spending. We're always hearing what great fund-raisers the Conservatives are, yet their MPs are using the taxpayers' funds to get their message out more than any other party. Since most MPs are not cabinet ministers managing departmental budgets, these expense reports allow us to get an idea of how well our MP manages the taxpayers' money.
#6
Posted 07 November 2009 - 10:15 AM
#8
Posted 07 November 2009 - 10:48 AM
#9
Posted 07 November 2009 - 11:00 AM
Topaz, on 07 November 2009 - 10:37 AM, said:
If and I do mean "if" these folks would work harder and spend more time and less money at out expense than I would be happy with the result we get. That is not the case though.
If I was allowed to make some rules for these folks it would go something like this.
Once elected the taxpayers would pay to fly them to Ottawa for day one, and the taxpayer would pay to send them back to their constituency one a month.
The taxpayer will provide a residence for them, instead of an allowance.
The representative would attend to the business of government 5 days a week, 20 weeks a year. Doors to the House of Commons to open at 0845 then close by 0900. Coffee break at 1115 until 1130. Lunch to begin at 1330 and end at 1430. Doors would open at 1700 to let representatives out for the day. Anyone not in attendance at 0900 to be docked a days pay.
Representatives to be granted 6 weeks annual vacation.
Representatives to be paid pensions based upon contributions at a rate determined by the representatives.
#10
Posted 07 November 2009 - 05:09 PM
Printing spree price tag is $10M
By ELIZABETH THOMPSON, NATIONAL BUREAU
http://www.ottawasun...666131-sun.html
#11
Posted 10 November 2009 - 07:47 PM
2008-2009 Rick Norlock $87749 Conservative Northumberland - Quinte West Helena Guergis $86808 Conservative Simcoe - Grey Laurie Hawn $85989 Conservative Edmonton Centre Vic Toews $85940 Conservative Provencher Peter Goldring $85234 Conservative Edmonton East Peter Van Loan $83531 Conservative York - Simcoe Russ Hiebert $81888 Conservative South Surrey - White Rock - Cloverdale Barry Devolin $80470 Conservative Haliburton - Kawartha Lakes - Brock Patrick Brown $79195 Conservative Barrie Olivia Chow $78605 NDP Trinity - Spadina
#12
Posted 10 November 2009 - 07:49 PM
2007-2008 Vic Toews $99580 Conservative Provencher Olivia Chow $86030 NDP Trinity - Spadina Patrick Brown $79538 Conservative Barrie Laurie Hawn $76399 Conservative Edmonton Centre Guy Lauzon $72410 Conservative Stormont - Dundas - South Glengarry Lee Richardson $70940 Conservative Calgary Centre Paul Dewar $70860 NDP Ottawa Centre Joy Smith $68644 Conservative Kildonan - St. Paul Bruce Stanton $66770 Conservative Simcoe North Cheryl Gallant $66553 Conservative Renfrew - Nipissing - Pembroke
#13
Posted 10 November 2009 - 07:53 PM

Add Reply
MultiQuote