The Conservatives are accusing the Liberals of 鈥渆ntitlement鈥� and "lining their pockets" after it was revealed they approved more than $1.1 million in relocation costs for staffers.
The figure includes more than $200,000 for two members of the Prime Minister鈥檚 Office and Justin Trudeau has so far refused to say who.
MPs Blaine Calkins, Karen Vecchio and Jacques Gourde raised some of the expenses in daily question period Tuesday, stating that:
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 鈥済ave a whopping $220,000 to five political staff,鈥� including $125,000 to one and $80,000 to another for relocation expenses.
- Foreign Minister Stephane Dion approved $146,000 to relocate nine political staff.
- Environment Minister Catherine McKenna gave 鈥渙ver $20,000 to one of her Liberal staffers for their move,鈥� despite 鈥渘o costs associated with the actual move.鈥�
Also revealed in the documents, which were released after a request from Conservative MP Larry Miller:
- An employee of Global Affairs expensed nearly $120,000 in costs.
- An employee of Environment and Climate Change expensed nearly $76,000.
- A staffer of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains expensed nearly $114,000.
- A staffer of Government House Leader Bardish Chagger expensed more than $70,000.
- Some ministers, including Kirsty Duncan (science), John McCallum (immigration) and Harjit Sajjan (national defence), reported no staff relocation costs.
CTV鈥檚 Joyce Napier asked Trudeau after his speech at the United Nations to name the staffers in his office who charged more than $200,000. He would not.
鈥淭he fact is when we came into office we followed all the rules set up by the previous government in 2008 for relocation expenses for senior public service and ministers鈥� staff,鈥� Trudeau said.
鈥淲e are following the policy as it was laid out by the previous government,鈥� he added.
Vecchio, the Conservative MP for the Ontario riding of Elgin--Middlesex鈥擫ondon, said in daily question period that she was 鈥渟hocked at the level of Liberal entitlement when it comes to spending other people鈥檚 money.鈥�
鈥淲ith unemployment rising and families struggling to make ends meet, why do the Liberals think it was somehow okay to spend taxpayers鈥� hard-earned money on these outrageous expenditures?鈥� she added.
Chagger responded by saying that her government is 鈥渙pen and transparent.鈥�
鈥淲e built a diverse team of passionate, hard-working, extremely qualified Canadians to deliver the change people voted for,鈥� said the Ontario MP for Waterloo.
鈥淭he team in Ottawa came from coast to coast to coast to serve Canadians and deliver on our promise to grow the middle class and those working hard to join it,鈥� Chagger added.
Vecchio later told CTV鈥檚 Power Play that while she understands there are expenses like lawyers鈥� fees incurred when selling homes and moving to Ottawa, she relocated to the capital for 鈥渁 heck of a lot less than $5,000.鈥�
NDP MP Niki Ashton called it evidence of a 鈥渃ulture of entitlement that鈥檚 alive and well in Liberal Party.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a difficult summer for a lot of Canadians, a lot of Canadians have lost their jobs,鈥� said the MP for Churchill鈥擪eewatinook Aski.
鈥淪o to hear this kind of money getting thrown around for something a lot of Canadians have to do 鈥� move to get a job -- is simply unacceptable,鈥� Ashton added.
Liberal MP Marco Mendicino warned against 鈥渃asting the first stone,鈥� adding that 鈥淐anadians don鈥檛 have to look too far in the rear-view mirrors to see some real waste,鈥� including 鈥渢hree-quarters of a billion on ads.鈥�
A PMO spokesperson told CTV News that 鈥渁ny help in relocation was done in accordance within the rules outlined by Treasury Board in the Policies for Ministers' Offices and the
Among the costs covered by the directive are legal fees on homes sales, professional house cleaning 鈥� even assistance for spouses seeking new jobs.
Since the Liberals took office a little over 10 months ago, the Conservatives and NDP have taken turns criticizing the government for money they see as misspent, including
- $17,000 spent on mostly during the Paris climate talks
- $24,000 on a that the Tories say broke partisanship rules
- $3,700 for limousines, $520 for an Air Canada lounge pass, $178 for a Nexus pass and $202 for a suitcase, which agreed to repay
- Flight and hotel costs for a in which Minister of International Trade Chrystia Freeland appeared on HBOs 鈥淩eal Time with Bill Maher鈥�
- Meals and other expenses on the day she travelled to Toronto for a Liberal Party fundraiser
The Conservatives faced their own accusations of inappropriate expenses over a decade in office. Perhaps most famously, International Co-operation Minister more than $1,000 a day on a car and driver in London and $16 on orange juice in a five-star hotel.
Andrew Leslie, who is now a Liberal MP, also faced accusations of inappropriate spending in 2014, when it was revealed by CTV News that the former general had to move to a new home in Ottawa only a few blocks from his old one.
With files from Glen McGregor and Laura Payton
