Improper spending allegations dog NDP

O T TAWA • The federal New Democrats could be hit with another seven-figure bill when the committee that monitors House of Commons spending meets Tuesday to consider allegations the party’s MPs broke spending rules with socalled satellite offices in Quebec.

The Board of Internal Economy is expected to weigh possible sanctions against NDP MPs for funding staff stationed in party offices in Montreal and Quebec City who were paid with House of Commons funds.

The party used pooled contributions from Quebec MPs’ parliamentary office budgets to pay for the staff who worked in offices rented by the party.

Typically, parliamentary employees work either in MPs’ constituency offices in their ridings or on Parliament Hill.

The board was set to hand down a ruling on the legality of the satellite office staffing at a meeting last month but deferred its decision to review material, including lease agreements for the offices, provided by the party only on the day of the meeting.

If the board finds that the arrangement violated the House bylaws, MPs could be forced to pay back salaries, benefits and other related expenses, dating back to the fall of 2011, when the staff were first placed in an office in downtown Montreal.

The bill could easily top the $1.17-million the board has already ordered NDP MPs to repay for the costs of partisan mailings.

The NDP contends the staff in Quebec worked only for the MPs and didn’t do any prohibited political work, such as fundraising or electoral organizing. Putting the staff closer to the MPs’ riding saved taxpayers travel costs from Ottawa, the party maintains.

Members of the committee, comprised of Conservative, Liberal and NDP MPs, will likely review documentation about the staffing provided by House of Commons administrators before ruling.

The NDP has argued that the House administration was aware of the arrangement and did not voice any concerns when the offices were set up in 2011. The party charges the board has become a “kangaroo court,” intent on demonizing the party for political gain, and wants the meeting on Tuesday opened to journalists — a bid that is likely to fall flat.

The NDP has tried, unsuccessfully, to have the board meetings opened before, but the Conservatives and Liberals blocked the move, saying it must meet in private as it deals with confidential staffing and legal issues.

The board has already found NDP MPs broke spending rules with pamphlets sent using their parliamentary franking privileges and ordered them to pay back $1.13 million to Canada Post and $36,000 to the House of Commons.

The party is currently appealing that decision in Federal Court. The application names as respondents Speaker Andrew Scheer and the six other members of the board, including the two NDP MPs who sit on it.

Canada Post has, so far, stayed mum on any efforts to collect on the debt.