Travel disclosure the right course
Premier Brad Wall’s decision to release details of all ministerial travel expenses isn’t just good policy.
It’s also good politics ... even if it was Wall, himself, caught claiming a little more than he should have.
After much cajoling by reporters both during and after Wall’s unveiling of the first out-of-province ministerial travel expenses report for the last six months, it was learned Wall has paid back $270 for a London limo service and meals during a six-day trip to England in 2011.
The decision to pay back the money came after a review of all travel expenditures following the uproar over former social services minister June Draude’s questionable trip to London that resulted in her and former cabinet secretary Rick Mantey repaying much of a $3,600 limo bill.
Obviously, the spending of Draude in London — along with similar limo services procured by Mantey for Finance Minister Ken Krawetz — was of great political embarrassment to the Wall government, whose only real threat right now is its own hubris.
Determined not to make the same mistakes that took down former Alberta Progressive Conservative premier Alison Redford, Wall et. al. thought it best to quietly repay anything vaguely resembling questionable expenses.
It caused a little rain on the sunshine expected by Wall and his strategists Wednesday as a result of their travel disclosures. There were also questions about why we really needed eight people at the provincial premiers’ conference in Charlottetown, which rang up a $20,576 bill, Economy Minister Bill Boyd’s rather pricey $44,302 trip to China and even why we are spending considerable sums to send legislative secretaries hither and yon.
But it’s always hard to criticize a government when it’s disclosing something that previously wasn’t being disclosed by past governments. It’s just good politics to do so, but it’s likely even better policy.
Having increased disclosure means the government will now think twice about the size of its travel entourages. Moreover, those who do travel will also think twice about what they throw on the government tab — something Draude, Krawetz and Mantey didn’t think nearly enough about.
However, whether it’s enough for Wall and his Saskatchewan Party government to claim the exclusive right-of-way on the high road is still a matter of debate.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There were all too many high-flyers in the past NDP government, like Dwain Lingenfelter (whose trips to Mexico, France, etc. were of questionable value) or Eldon Lautermilch (who seemed to have a similar love affair with fancy airport car services).
But there is something rather suspicious about the Sask. Party claim that it has cut “ministerial travel” in half, to $447,000 in 2012-13 from $978,000 in 2006-07 (under the NDP).
Consider the last public accounts for 2012-13 that show Wall’s entire office alone spent $704,000 on travel. Compare that with the $222,000 executive council spent on travel 10 years ago in 2004-05, or the $220,225 spent on travel by the premier’s office in 1994-95. Even with inflation, something is amiss. Is it possible that Sask. Party “ministers’ travel expenses” have been instead booked as staff expense travel?
Of course, Wall’s staff insist their government wins any applesto-apples comparison with the NDP government. And they eagerly cite Wall’s personal frugality. In fact, staff go as far as to claim one of reasons why Wall and aide Everett Hindley commute the 490-kilometre round trip from Swift Current each day is to save taxpayers money.
Now, no one should begrudge Wall’s desire to be home each night or to not want to uproot his family from his home riding. This is an admirable choice. Few of us would opt for an extra five hours driving a day. But is it really a tax savings?
Wall’s staff argues that by not having a Regina residence, Wall does not claim the $50-a-day, 365-day-a-year allowance that many non-Regina MLAs claim by maintain a separate Regina residence. Instead, however, Wall claims about 40, 490-kilometre round trips each year, at a mileage rate of 47.5-centsa-kilometre or 42.27-cents-a-kilometre — depending on whether the claim is for in-session or out-of-session travel.
Add in the couple times of year where Wall must fly from Swift Current by executive air (at $2,034.12 a flight) or the times when he has to stay over and claim hotels and one sees there aren’t many tax dollars saved.
That said, at least we can measure such travel costs.
Politicians usually do win when they are honest and forthright about their expense disclosures.