APTN National News
OTTAWA–Conservative MP Rob Clarke is the biggest spender of all the Aboriginal MPs on Parliament Hill according to the annual fiscal report released by the federal government this week.

Clarke, Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River, who is pushing a private member’s bill to make changes to the Indian Act, had expenditures of $490,478.61 from April 1, 2011 to Mar. 31, 2012, that included travel expenses of about $155,000.

In comparison, Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou MP Romeo Saganash was the lowest of seven Aboriginal MPs with $342,412.97 in expenses but his expense audit began a month later on May 2, 2011. His travel bills tallied up to about $75,000.

The report looks at everything from employees’ salaries, advertising, printing, office leases and telecommunication. Salaries, travel, advertising and office space is where most of the money went for the MPs.

The next most expensive politician was Winnipeg South MP Rod Bruinooge who spent more than $440,000. He paid out more than $140,000 in travel expenses.

Next was Labrador MP Peter Penashuewho tallied about $430,000. Travel costs were roughly $157,000, the most expensive among Aboriginal MPs. His expenses also began May 2.

The next three came in pretty much nose-to-nose.

Saint Boniface MP Shelly Glover had the cheapest travel budget of the lot with about $68,000 and a total budget of nearly $370,000.

Manicouagan MP Jonathan Genest-Jourdain was just over $368,000 also beginning May 2. He spent about $80,000 on travel.

Nunavut MP Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq was the second cheapest MP of the group with just over $361,000. Of that, nearly $80,000 was for travel.

But everyone in this group were outdone by Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan (Vancouver Island North) who went through $512,389.10.

 

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Author(s)

Mark Blackburn

[email protected]