Wallin next under Senate expense spotlight
OTTAWA — Conservative Sen. Pamela Wallin is expected to be the next player in the Senate-expenses spotlight, as auditors continue to examine her travel bill of more than $300,000 over the past three years. Here’s a catch-up:
Question: Are the stakes with Wallin higher than for the other audited senators who were told to pay back expense money — Mike Duffy, Patrick Brazeau and Mac Harb?
Answer: Politically, yes. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who appointed the former broadcaster to the upper chamber, robustly defended her spending in the House of Commons earlier this year.
“I have looked at the numbers. Her travel costs are comparable to any parliamentarian travelling from that particular area of the country over that period of time,” Harper told the House of Commons on Feb. 13. “For instance, last year Sen. Wallin spent almost half of her time in the province she represents in the Senate. The costs are to travel to and from that province, as any similar parliamentarian would do.”
If the auditors were to conclude there was anything amiss, Harper’s words would come back to bite him.
Q: What prompted an audit of her spending?
A: In late February, the Senate said Wallin’s spending review was part of “periodic audits of selected senators’ expenses.”
But the senator who chairs the chamber’s internal economy committee, David Tkachuk, told the Globe and Mail that Wallin’s expenses appeared “very unusual” and an audit was ordered. Senate finance staff reportedly started to grow suspicious of her travel bills, which helped prompt the audit. According to a CTV report, the majority of Wallin’s trips were to Toronto. Wallin has said that she stops over in Toronto on her way to Wadena, Sask., and has to bill it as “other” travel, rather than “regular” travel, under Senate rules because it isn’t one continuous trip as required under regular travel rules.
Q: How much has Wallin spent on travel?
A: Since late 2010 (when expenses started being posted), Wallin has spent more than $338,000 on “other” travel, defined as any flight internationally or domestically that isn’t between Ottawa and the senator’s hometown. That makes Wallin the top spender over that period — at least $110,000 more than the No. 2 spender, Sen. Colin Kenny. Over the same period, Wallin has spent $30,631.17 on regular travel, trips directly between Ottawa and Saskatchewan.
Q: What do the Senate’s travel rules say?
A: When Wallin’s audit began, senators were given 64 travel points annually (the rules have changed since). One round trip between Ottawa and a senator’s home province is considered one point. Senators could also use their points to fly a dependent child, one of their office staffers, or someone providing the senator with medical assistance. They were allowed to take one international trip annually under the 64-point system, but needed to explain how it was related to their parliamentary duties. Additional international trips would have to be approved by the internal economy committee.
Q: What will the final audit say?
A: That isn’t clear, though rumours abound. Sources with knowledge of the audit process suggest the findings could be critical of the senator, who has declined to comment until the audit is done.