The queen of limousines

The spending habits of International Development Minister Bev Oda seem a bit more on the level of royalty than in the realm of a public servant.

Granted the Tory minister’s stay in a swank London hotel pales in comparison to the many millions of dollars to be saved by a leaner public service, but the optics are terrible as the government goes about cutting 19,200 jobs over the next three years.

How could the government justify Oda opting out of the five-star hotel where the conference was held in favour of the Savoy, a lavish London property that’s the choice of royalty?

Oda has reimbursed taxpayers for some of her spending at a June 2011 conference that discussed immunization for children in developing countries.

The $1,353.81 represents the difference between the two hotels, a cancellation fee and $16 for a glass of orange juice, but not the $1,000-a-day bill for limousines necessitated by the hotel move.

Oda, who apologized “unreservedly” on Tuesday, but only repaid the money after the expenses came to light, must indeed think she is royalty.

It has been previously revealed she spent $17,000 on limousines in her first 15 months in cabinet, including about $6,000 over four days in Halifax to attend the Juno Awards in 2006.

No one expects public servants — including federal cabinet ministers like Oda — to stay in flea-infested hotels and take public transportation when they’re working on our behalf.

But we don’t expect them to take taxpayers for a ride either.