OTTAWA -- With a growing number of elected officials across the country offering Canadians a view of their spending, some critics are looking for Ottawa to follow suit.
But anyone hoping to see exactly how cabinet ministers spend taxpayer dollars shouldn't hold their breath -- the government says the current system is fine.
In some municipal jurisdictions, voters get to see the nitty gritty of how elected officials spend their money.
In Toronto, for example, photocopies of Mayor Rob Ford's cell phone bills are posted online, as are those of other city councillors.
A similar system is in place in Vancouver, where a quick search shows Mayor Gregor Robertson expensed a $23 charge for excess baggage on a flight.
This summer, a spending scandal involving the CFO of Alberta Health Services pushed the province to adopt a system in which anything purchased on the taxpayers' dime requires an itemized receipt published online, where the public can see it.
The province's service minister Manmeet Bhullar described the plan, announced earlier this month, as "the boldest of transparency initiatives."
Whether it's a cup of coffee or a night at a hotel, every member of Premier Alison Redford's caucus, as well as political staff and senior bureaucrats who work for them, has to post expenses online every two months.
"This is a very powerful reminder to all of us who are in charge whose dollars these are. These are the dollars of the people of Alberta," Bhullar said. "This also goes very far to empower the citizens of Alberta. In every democracy you need to make sure that the people have access to actual information, factual information, at their fingertips."
In Ottawa, cabinet ministers' expenses are also posted online. But whatever the event, whether a photo-op or overseas summit, detailed breakdowns aren't provided -- only summaries of overall costs filed under "airfare," "accommodation," "meals" and "other expenses."
Now, there are calls for Ottawa to adopt a system similar to those in Vancouver, Toronto and Alberta.
"It's not only feasible, it's quite necessary, especially at high levels of government," said Stephen Taylor, director at the right-leaning National Citizen's Coalition. "Transactions that they undertake are transactions like any other. They can provide receipts and those receipts can be readily available."
Canadians can get their hands on details of ministers' spending through access to information laws. The process costs at least $5 and can sometimes be cumbersome.
Still Treasury Board President Tony Clement says the status quo is serving the country well.
"The proof is in the pudding," he said. "When you look at ministerial expenses, they have decreased. Travel expenses have decreased. Hospitality expenses have decreased. And expenses in the Prime Minister's Office have decreased in the last two years. So the system it working."
The critics still argue, however, the system isn't stringent enough because even though spending may be down, some questionable expenses still slip through.
Former international development minister Bev Oda expensed a $250 fine she incurred for smoking in a non-smoking hotel room in 2010. The tally posted online only showed the total amount she charged taxpayers for accommodation -- it didn't include any line items.
Two years later, while mired in controversy over her spending habits, Oda quietly paid back the $250 fine.
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© Global News. A division of Shaw Media Inc., 2012.
20 Sep, 2012
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Source: http://www.globalnews.ca/Canada/federal+ministerial+expenses+need+to+be+more+open+critics+say/6442718550/story.html
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