OTTAWA — A majority of B.C. MPs appear to be getting the message from taxpayers upset by politicians’ excessive spending.
A summary of MP expenses shows that while the overall spending for Canada’s 308 MPs edged up slightly in 2012-13 to $123.7 million, from $121.3 million the previous year, spending was down for 19 of B.C.’s 36 MPs.
Another 16 registered increases, in a year that was increasingly dominated by the Senate spending scandal. (Victoria MP Murray Rankin didn’t incur expenses in 2011-12 as he entered Parliament in a 2012 byelection.)
Only two spent more than $500,000 tin the latest fiscal year, Liberal Hedy Fry and low-profile Conservative Dick Harris. That’s far lower than the six — including Fry and Harris — who topped the half-million mark in 2011-12.
Canadian Taxpayers Federation spokesman Gregory Thomas said the public pressure is clearly getting to some members.
“MPs get a lot of heat from their constituents about government spending in general, and this spending has their name on it.”
But Thomas said rules should be more strict and require MPs to provide specific details on their spending. For instance, an MP could let contracts to a supporter without the public knowing, he said.
The Federation was encouraged when Liberal leader Justin Trudeau promised that his caucus would provide full disclosure, though he said the Liberals have been slow to provide details on Trudeau’s plan.
The MP spending report includes employee salaries, accommodation, service contracts, advertising, printing, office expenses, hospitality and events, and travel for dependents, employees, and “designated travellers” — usually an MP’s spouse but sometimes a child, parent or other relative.
Fry, the MP for Vancouver Centre, was for the second year running B.C.’s biggest spender despite a sharp reduction in her outlays.
She spent $516,430, down from $586,268 in 2011-12, while Tory Dick Harris (Cariboo-Prince George) was a close second at $515,244 — a total up by a slight margin from the previous year.
Fry said her higher expenses were due to cross-Canada travels as part of her role as Liberal health critic. Fry’s travel expenses totalled just over $191,000.
The only B.C. MP that came close to that travel figure was the NDP’s deputy leader, Libby Davies, whose total was $170,244.
One of Fry’s other big expenses was leasing office space in downtown Vancouver, which came to a little under $50,000, or close to four times Kelowna MP Ron Cannan’s office costs.
But one MP had even higher office costs — Vancouver Island Tory James Lunney, whose offices in Nanaimo and Port Alberni cost a total of $67,168.
Among the biggest spending declines was that registered by B.C.’s senior representative in Ottawa, Industry Minister James Moore. His tally dropped from $505,412 to $418,284, while caucus colleague Randy Kamp’s plunged from just under $500,000 to slightly under $361,000.
Liberal Joyce Murray’s total also fell significantly, from $538,205 to $432,143, though that may be explained by her extensive time commitment away from MP business running an unsuccessful leadership campaign.
The lowest-spending B.C. MP was Trade Minister Ed Fast, at $335,208, though much of the globe-trotting minister’s spending is covered by his ministerial budget rather than his MP budget.
The lowest spending by an ordinary MP was $353,132, by interior MP Colin Mayes (Okanagan-Shuswap).
