If you have a vivid imagination, you could perhaps understand how certain MLAs rationalized that some of their expenses cited in the Auditor General’s report were used for government business.
Perhaps the model ship purchased by one MLA is on display in his constituency office. Perhaps the generator purchased by another MLA will be used in the event of an emergency in his community. Perhaps the internet service purchased by a third MLA is used to check emails from his home.
But under no test of “reasonableness” can you imagine that other expenses are justified.
How could one MLA (Leonard Preyra) think that purchasing an airline ticket to Ottawa for his son was justified? How could another MLA (name unknown) think that purchasing 11 computers in three years was justified? How could a third MLA (premier Darrell Dexter) think that claiming twice for the same meals was justified?
On the eve of what is likely to be an austerity budget with tax increases and major spending cuts, I call upon all MLAs to come clean and, on your respective websites, reveal everything you have spent our tax dollars on under each of the allowances including constituency office allowance, travel allowance and technology allowance.
Only by being fully transparent and disclosing this information will you be able to start rebuilding taxpayers’ confidence that you are spending our money wisely.
—Gerry Walsh, former candidate (Halifax Citadel), Sable Island
This article appears in Feb 11-17, 2010.
Bit of a poor loser aren’t we Gerry!
Weren’t you then one who said you were still going to keep your other job if you got elected??
By the way it wasn’t just the NDP. Some of your Liberal collegues had some pretty outrageous claims. Does Deck furniture for Dave Wilson’s home (Liberal MLA for Glace Bay) ring a bell or maybe deputy speaker Wayne Gaudett (Liberal MLA for Claire) paying is own brother$1200 for snowplowing how office parking lot!!!
People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones!!!
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, in consultation with Canadian experts in the epidemiology of MS, has announced a revision to the estimated number of Canadians who have MS. They now estimate that there are likely between 55,000 and 75,000 Canadians living with this unpredictable disease. In October 2005, researchers at the University of Calgary reported in the journal Multiple Sclerosis that the overall weighted estimate of MS prevalence in Canada is 240 per 100,000 individuals. Quite a high number!!
We are very excited to hear about this new liberation procedure. This endovascular treatment (CCSVI), with the limitation of a short follow up, improves significantly the validated outcome measure in people with multiple Sclerosis. Dr. Paolo Zamboni’s findings are very high in success rates and the residence of Nova Scvotia “DESERVE” funding for these test and procedures. Canada has one of the “highest” numbers of MS sufferers in the world and yet we have no means of fixing this issue.
Nova Scotia residence are wondering where the money we raise goes? We have many groups doing fund rasing for this cause…. yet we see no head way in getting this equipment here in nova Scotia. It is causing GREAT concern with or residence as to why we are not yet approved for this procedure and to where the money is actually going.