Scheer tops Tory office spending
OTTAWA • Andrew Scheer led the way among Conservative leadership candidates in MP office spending in the first half of the year.
Scheer, a Saskatchewan MP and former Speaker of the House of Commons, spent nearly $ 263,000 on travel for himself and his family, salaries for employees, accommodation and per diems while in Ottawa, office leases in his riding, and other expenses.
The average for all MPs f rom Saskatchewan was $ 221,860 and the average for Conservative MPs was $ 218,775. Scheer’s spending was 12th highest among all 338 MPs, according to an analysis of a database of MP spending in the first half of 2016.
The database was built by the National Post based on information published by the Board of Internal Economy.
For all of the reporting period, Scheer would have been his party’s House Leader, a position that would have required him to be in Ottawa more often than most other MPs.
While in Ottawa, MPs can claim “travel expenses” and Scheer led all nine declared and potential leadership candidates that are current members of the Conservative caucus when it came to per diem claims. Scheer’s claim of $ 6,931.58 for per diems from January 1 to June 30 was 18th highest among all 388 MPs.
On Sunday, meanwhile, Quebec MP Steven Blaney declared he was running for the party leadership.
Others who have declared are Maxime Bernier, Kellie Leitch, Michael Chong, Deepak Obhrai, Brad Trost, Erin O’Toole, Andrew Saxton, Rick Peterson and Pierre Lemieux.
Former MPs Chris Alexander is expected to announce their candidacy soon. MP Lisa Raitt and businessman Kevin O’Leary are also considering a bid.
Scheer, 37, has five children and he was the only one of the nine declared and potential candidates to file expenses for “Travel- Dependants.” The bill for his children’s travel was $ 7,396.88, sixth highest among all 338 MPs in this expense category.
S cheer also claimed $3,581.31 for his “designated traveller”, who, in this case, was his wife Jill.
That was 3 rd highest among the nine candidates in caucus and 83rd highest among all MPs.
But Scheer was second to another Saskatchewan MP in the running to replace Stephen Harper, Brad Trost, for expenses related to “designated traveller.” Trost claimed $ 12,197.66 in the first six months of the year, 14th highest among all 338 MPs.
Trost also topped the nine candidates in caucus when it came to combined living expenses. Trost claimed $ 26,465 for combined accommodation, secondary residence, and per diems in the first six months.
At the other end of the scale, Ontario MP Michael Chong has spent the least. With total expenses of $ 179,534, Chong ranked 285th out of 338 MPs.
SCHEER’S SPENDING WAS 12TH HIGHEST AMONG ALL 338 MPs.