Larry Potter and 139,364 Timbits spice up 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, ice-cream 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 a typical expense. MPs spent $53,191 there between April 2016 and March 2017. Some bills hit 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.

Bouncy castles and ice cream trucks featured prominently in the expenses, if only for companies’ delightful names. 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 and a band called the Junkyard Symphony.