OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his cabinet spent millions of dollars more in 2012-13 on their offices than in the previous year, even as government departments were tightening their belts.
However, the government found some major cost savings in other areas, spending millions less than the previous year on international conferences and hospitality.
In the upper chamber, embattled Sen. Pamela Wallin – who has returned almost $150,000 in improper travel expenses – had one of the largest travel bills.
According to the Public Accounts of Canada, tabled Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s Office spent $8.2 million in 2012-13 on staff, communications and other costs, a seven-per-cent increase over roughly $7.6 million the previous year.
Combined, federal ministers’ offices spent about $56.1 million in the last fiscal year (not including ministers’ salaries) on personnel, communications, transportation, services and other items, almost $3 million more than the previous year.
The Conservative government spent approximately $7.5 million in 2012-13 on expenditures such as “hospitality and conference fees” at international conferences and meetings for the prime minister, Governor General and senior ministers – a substantial reduction from more than $10 million the previous year.
The government forked out approximately $1.7 million on travel expenses for the prime minister’s trips to international conferences and meetings, including for Harper, some ministers and department staff, according to the documents. The total was millions of dollars less than the previous year, as Harper travelled less overseas for meetings and officials visits.
But those costs don’t include the more than $1-million estimated price tag it cost the government to ship armour-plated limousines to India for Harper’s official visit. The RCMP used a Canadian Forces CC-177 Globemaster transport aircraft to fly the vehicles to India for Harper’s visit in November 2012.
Taxpayers coughed up approximately $2.1 million in 2012-13 on international travel for ministers, their parliamentary secretaries and staff – almost the same amount as the previous year.
Among Harper’s cabinet, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird (and his parliamentary secretary and staff) racked up the largest international spending tab, at $353,430, followed by International Trade Minister Ed Fast ($203,330) and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty ($194,397).
In the House of Commons, taxpayers forked out almost $50 million in salaries and allowances to MPs, and an additional $25.6 million on travel expenses.
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair had the largest travel expenses among MPs (not including costs incurred for ministerial travel for cabinet members), at $239,460 last fiscal year. Former Liberal MP Bob Rae, who was the party’s interim leader during the 2012-13 fiscal year, racked up $196,881 in travel expenses.
In the Senate – which is facing unprecedented scrutiny for an ongoing expenses scandal – spending on salaries and allowances reached $14.1 million, while travel expenses totalled about $7.5 million. Another $13.4 million was spent on research assistance, staff and other expenses. The totals were similar to the previous year.
Independent Sen. Wallin, who’s fighting a possible suspension from the Senate for improper travel expenses, claimed the second-largest amount of travel costs, at $180,071, next only to Northwest Territories Sen. Nick Sibbeston.
Wallin has repaid the Senate almost $150,000 in travel claims.
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