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Oakville MP spent $947.96 a day on office and travel expenses 5 · Thursday, November 19, 2009 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com Continued from page 1 by the House of Commons to cover up to four newsletters a year to inform constituents about Parliamentary activities and issues, as well as what are called `Ten Percenters.' These are printed or photocopied material reproduced in quantities not exceeding 10 per cent of the total number of households in a riding. Wallace receives an electoral supplement on his office budget as he represents a densely-populated riding, as does his colleague, Oakville's MP Terence Young. However, residents in the Oakville riding, one of Canada's wealthiest, can again claim to have the most frugal MP in the region representing them. Young was elected about halfway through the fiscal year on Oct. 14, 2008 and continued the low-spending ways of his predecessor, long-time Liberal MP Bonnie Brown. That was an 8.6 per cent hike from what Brown spent the previous fiscal year, yet it was actually Young who spent less if calculated on a per-day basis -- $947.96 for Young to Brown's $962.40. Together, the duo spent $349,000 during the fiscal year. Brown, again, had the lowest printing costs of all MPs, only spending $1,721 -- a small percentage of what her colleagues in Halton spent on those communiqués. Meanwhile, in another riding where the incumbent MP was dumped from office, Halton's bitter rivals, the ousted Liberal Garth Turner and the October-elected Conservative Lisa Raitt, appeared to share at least one thing in common --- how much per day should be spent on running their offices in Milton and Parliament Hill. Both spent more than $1,200 a day, with Raitt about $38 per day higher. The total expenditures between the two combined were $445,000, about 11 per cent higher than Turner spent the previous fiscal year. Turner expensed a mere $7 for travel within the rid- ing, but more than $32,000 on office rent, by far the highest for Halton's MPs. The spread-out Halton riding apparently qualifies for a small geographic supplement, as does the nearby Wellington-Halton Hills, as both are larger than 500 square kilometres. The MP for the latter riding, Michael Chong, recorded the highest year-over-year hike compared to his Halton colleagues. He spent 17 per cent, or $55,000, more in the last fiscal year, with a total of $381,000. However, the increase still doesn't bring Chong back to the level he spent in 2006-07, when his expenditures were $418,000. None of the above figures include the salaries for the elected members, which rose 1.5 per cent in the current fiscal year. The basic salary for an MP this year is $157,731, according to information on the official Parliament website, www.parl.gc.ca. However, as chair of the standing committee of Industry, Science and Technology, Chong receives about $11,000 additionally. As Minister of Natural Resources, Raitt receives an additional $75,500 plus a couple thousand dollars for a car allowance. Raitt, self-described as the most-lobbied Canadian minister, frequently travels to all parts of the country and globally representing the federal government on issues such as energy, mining and forestry. Her travel and hospitality expenses, on Natural Resources Canada business, totalled about $106,000 from Nov. 11, 2008 to Sep.t 1, 2009, according to information on the Treasury Board of Canada's website. Much of that was spent on airfare for flights with numerous stops. For instance, from May 13 to May 21, Raitt expensed $6,000 on airfare for travel to Vancouver, Kelowna, Edmonton and Calgary. Her accommodation expenses for that eight-night sojourn totalled $871, with meal expenses averaging about $37 a day. An Unforgettable Dining Experience awaits you... N O W O P E N Cynthia's Chinese Restaurant Enjoy fine Chinese cuisine in an atmosphere with the perfect mix of elegance and exuberance. 2 course DAILY lunch specials starting from only $ 95 8 2460 Neyagawa Blvd., #1, Oakville 905-338-1818 www.cynthiaschinese.com Mention this ad & receive a FREE order of Spring Rolls on dine in or takeout. Creating sensational smiles in Oakville for 15 years. 20% OFF POTS & PANS offer expires November 26/09 Making Your Cooking Fun & Easy ing g g Fu y · Knives and Garnishing Tools · Spice Racks · Small Appliances · Cookware and Tableware · Linens, Aprons and Mitts · Bakeware · Barware · Espresso Makers and Accessories Monday-Friday 10am - 6pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday CLOSED Hours: River Glen Mews Plaza 2530 6th Line, Oakville (905) 257-3500