Working up an appetite
LARRY POTTER AND THE 139,364 TIMBITS: TALES FROM THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
OTTAWA • Members of parliament spent almost $1.3 million on events, wining-and-dining, and coffee during the past fiscal year.
Hidden in MP expense reports are face-painting, a band called the Junkyard Symphony, a company called Larry Potter Magician, icecream trucks and a variety of other items that added flavour to parliamentarians’ most expensive parties.
Two of the most popular purchasing choices, Tim Hortons and the parliamentary restaurant (located on Parliament Hill), were responsible for 2.4 and 4.1 per cent of total spending, respectively.
MPs spent $31,461, as a collective, on Tim Hortons. That’s equivalent to 139,364 Timbits (tax included). There was little love for other coffee shops. Starbucks raked in just under $3,000, while Ottawa chain Bridgehead pulled about $1,000 from House of Commons expense accounts. Second Cup and Timothy’s pocketed a few hundred bucks apiece.
Dining at the parliamentary restaurant was, not surprisingly, a typical expense. MPs spent $53,191 there between April 2016 and March 2017, with some bills hitting many hundreds of dollars.
This year’s prize for the biggest liquor bill goes to the prime minister himself. Justin Trudeau expensed $523 at SAQ (Quebec liquor store) for a constituency event in February. The biggest bill from Ontario, at LCBO, was $338 from Conservative MP Garnett Genuis, for a staff event in September. All told, MPs spent at least $7,000 on such libations.
Aside from regular schmoozing costs, many MPs hosted one-off events, like summer barbecues, Canada Day celebrations or other big occasions, often playing host to hundreds of guests.
Of countless events held by MPs, usually in their ridings or in Ottawa, 126 cost more than $1,000 and half of these were held during the parliamentary summer break. Only five events came up to more than $5,000.
The most expensive was an end-of-year barbecue held by Liberal MP Sonia Sidhu. According to her office, it was an occasion to check in with about 1,400 or 1,500 constituents at the end of her first year on the Hill — a standard outdoor BBQ, though it cost $7,367.
Much of that amount went toward food, according to her expense report, but at least $1,500 went toward party supplies, including balloons (notably, one company called Blow It was a benefactor).
The second-most-expensive event was hosted by William Amos, the Liberal MP for Pontiac, in October. According to his office, this was a “socio-economic forum” with about 180 attendees from across the riding. The almost $6,000 in costs were paid out to Auberge du Draveur, which a staffer said is pretty much the only venue in Maniwaki that can host a group of that size.
Rounding out the top three was a party Liberal MP Gary Anandasangaree hosted in January to celebrate Tamil Heritage Month. His executive assistant, Gowthaman Kurusamy, said this was a “historical celebration” because it’s the first time the month has been recognized federally, after all parties supported a motion from Anandasangaree in the Commons.
The event was held at a government building and featured representatives from all political parties and some Indigenous groups. Costs of $5,850 went to Rajah Ram Caterers, who boxed up traditional Tamil delicacies.
Bouncy castles and ice cream trucks featured prominently in the expenses, if only for companies’ delightful names. For example, one ice cream truck company was called Santa of Summer.
Liberal MP Mark Holland’s office confirmed an expense of $452 to “Larry Potter Magician” was for a bouncy castle and not for a magician named Larry Potter.
Several MPs also paid out modest amounts for musical guests, including a traditional music group called Simpson’s Folly, a band called the Junkyard Symphony and a preteen opera singer named Luca Figliomeni.
Another eye-catching expense went to a group dubbed “We Love Oil Sands” — actually called “I Love Oil Sands.” Conservative MP David Yurdiga spent $1,250 on a table of 12 at an event hosted by the group. A staffer called the event a themed evening for mucky mucks from the community.
Hospitality expenses were only responsible for a tiny fraction of MPs’ overall $139 million budgets.