Using documents obtained under Access to Information Laws, CTV found that between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011, nearly every ministers' chauffeur claimed hundreds of hours in overtime.
NDP MP Charlie Angus took the Tories to task in question period, accusing ministers of living the good life while the government makes deep cuts to the public service. "How do the Conservatives have the nerve to tell Canadians that the cupboard is bare while ministers on the front benches are stuffing themselves on perks and entitlements?," Angus asked.
Tony Clement, whose driver was on standby for more than 360 days last year (6,548 hours), responded for the Tories, arguing the overtime was fair pay for necessary work. "Our ministers are working long hours for the economy, long hours for jobs, long hours for the people of Canada. Sometimes that means a bit of overtime by the drivers."
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Angus was not subdued, pointing to Clement's standby bill. "For crying out loud, even Batman drives his own car," Angus said.
Clement then denied paying his driver 360 days of overtime (it was standby) and said the government would look at any suggestions from the Opposition on how to cut car costs.
Stephen Harper's 26 cabinet ministers and 11 junior ministers each get a car and driver. Salaries range from $46,883 to 50,755.
Only Gary Lunn opted not to hire a chauffeur. Peter Mackay, Julian Fantino and Jean-Pierre Blackburn all classified their drivers as exempt from overtime by making them ministerial support staff.
The prime minister himself must travel in government-owned vehicles for reasons of security.
Her nearly $3,000 bill for a car service, which wouldn't have been necessary if she had remained in the original accommodations, gained special attention after Oda initially failed to pay the money back. After harsh criticism, Oda reimbursed the government for the car as well.
On Wednesday, NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice accused the Tories of living like blue bloods. "Has the Conservative aristocracy decided to take full advantage of their perks at taxpayers' expense because it realizes that this will be its last term of office?" Boulerice asked. "Before slashing essential services for Canadians, could the members of cabinet stop behaving like royalty?"
Here's a list of the 10 cabinet ministers whose drivers accumulated the most overtime from April 1, 2010 until March 31, 2011. <a href="http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20120501/Cabinet-ministers-drivers-made-600000-in-overtime-120501/" target="_hplink">See the detailed list on CTV's website</a>.<br><br>
Tony Clement, pictured, doesn't make the top 10 for dollar spending, but he's top of the list for standby, with a total of 6,548 hours logged.
(CP)
10. Keith Ashfield - $21,890.75
(Handout)
9. Lisa Raitt - $22,446.86
(CP)
8. Denis Lebel - $25,046.34
(Handout)
7. Lawrence Cannon - $25,749.59
*Defeated in 2011 election.<br>
(Handout)
6. Rob Merrifield - $26,092.19
(Handout)
5. Jason Kenney - $26,702.87
(CP)
4. Gerry Ritz - $27,817.25
(CP)
3. Jim Flaherty - $34,941.14
(CP)
2. Diane Finley - $36,027.78
(CP)
1. Rona Ambrose - $38,383.95
(CP)
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Top 5 Political Spending Scandals
Here are a few examples of some red-faced moments in public expense reports, in which those involved likely wished they had gone back and done -- or in the case of David Dingwall, said -- a few things differently.<br><br><em>With files from CBC</em><br><br>(CP/Getty)
5. Cleaning The Moat
Britain's parliamentarians became embroiled in scandal in 2009 over their declared expenses after the Daily Telegraph obtained an uncensored copy of their claims and published them.<br><br>
Details disclosed by the newspaper showed how MPs from all parties manipulated rules by routinely switching the designation of their second home -- using public money to furnish and improve several properties and later sell them at a profit.<br><br>
Facing fierce public fury as embarrassing details emerged daily, nearly 400 British MPs, including then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, were ordered to pay back close to $2 million in wrongfully claimed expenses.<br><br>
But amid the outrage, one the most publicized cases was of that then Conservative MP Douglas Hogg, who was alleged to have expensed the cleaning of a moat at his family's country estate. Hogg agreed to repay the cost of cleaning the moat, but insisted he had only listed the cleaning cost as an expenditure on his house and never asked to be reimbursed. He decided not to stand for his seat in the 2010 election.<br><br> (MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images)
4. EHealth Ontario
A scandal broke out in Ontario in 2009 over wasteful and untendered consulting contracts at eHealth, a provincial Crown corporation charged with creating an electronic health records system. The controversy over eHealth's spending led to the resignation of then Health Minister David Caplan.<br><br>
Among the embarrassing revelations at eHealth, CBC News obtained documents that showed consultants, contracted by eHealth at up to $2,750 a day, billed taxpayers for out-of-pocket expenses that included $1.65 for a cup of tea and $3.99 for cookies.<br><br>
The documents said eHealth CEO and president Sarah Kramer billed thousands of dollars for limousine rides, including one $400 trip from Toronto to London, Ont., before she left her $380,000-a-year job in June of that year.<br><br>(CP)
3. Nova Scotia MLA Scandal
Nova Scotia's provincial legislature was rocked by a report by the provincial auditor general that found that many MLAs submitted questionable expense claims over a number of years. The affair evolved into a criminal investigation that led to several MLAs resigning and at least one former member being sentenced to prison.<br><br>
Ex-Liberal MLA Dave Wilson, pictured, pleaded guilty to defrauding Nova Scotia taxpayers of nearly $61,000 to support his gambling addiction and was sentenced last week to nine months of jail time and 18 months of probation. Crown attorneys in his case detailed how Wilson submitted 36 false expense receipts using five people's names -- including his niece and brother-in-law -- totalling $60,995.
Wilson apologized to his family and the people of the province, telling the court he was deeply ashamed of his actions.<br><br>(CP)
2. George Radwanski
Former federal privacy commissioner George Radwanski resigned in 2003 under a cloud following intense scrutiny of his spending. At the time, Radwanski blamed "a powerful political backlash from some who would prefer a less forceful privacy commissioner." His severance package was initially $82,562, but later cut to nothing.<br><br>
Radwanski resigned after a Commons committee called for a full audit of Radwanski's expense claims, which included more than $500,000 in travel claims, $250 drinks tabs and dinner bills of more than $450, usually shared with one staff member.<br><br>
Auditor General Sheila Fraser's report called for an RCMP investigation of Radwanski after her department's audit revealed "a major failure of management controls and the abuse of public funds by the former commissioner and some senior executives, for their personal benefit."<br><br>
In 2009, an Ontario judge acquitted Radwanski of criminal fraud charges, but criticized his "negligent and cavalier" approach to accounting for controversial expenses he claimed while in office. Radwanski's former chief of staff, Art Lamarche, was convicted of breach of trust. Radwanski acknowledged he wished he had done some things differently, but insisted he "never acted dishonestly or knowingly improperly in any way." <br><br>(CP)
1. 'I'm Entitled To My Entitlements'
In February 2006, former Liberal cabinet minister David Dingwall was awarded $417,780 in compensation after an independent arbitrator concluded he was forced out of his $277,000-a-year job as head of the Royal Canadian Mint.<br><br>
His removal from the head of the Crown corporation came amid a frenzy caused by unproven allegations that he and his office made improper and excessive expense claims, as the then Liberal government was reeling from the inquiry into the federal sponsorship scandal.<br><br>
Opposition MPs, including then Opposition Leader Stephen Harper, portrayed the Dingwall case as a sign of Liberal misspending, accusing him of wasting taxpayers' money on reimbursement claims for expensive meals, excessive travel and even a pack of chewing gum.
In the midst of the controversy over his resignation and compensation package, Dingwall drew the scorn of opposition parties when he said the now notorious words to a Commons committee: "I'm entitled to my entitlements."<br><br>
Harper's party picked up the phrase and used it repeatedly as an example of Liberal arrogance during the campaign leading up to the Jan. 23, 2006, general election.<br><br>
In fact, an independent audit of the expenses by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers later found that more than 70 per cent of them were incurred by other employees in Dingwall's office at the Mint, and that all the payments had been properly approved under the Crown corporation's guidelines.<br><br>
A second independent review by law firm Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt concluded the governance of expendures at the Mint went "well beyond what one could expect to find in most private-sector corporations."<br><br>(CP)
Most Driver Overtime Spending In Cabinet
Here's a list of the 10 cabinet ministers whose drivers accumulated the most overtime from April 1, 2010 until March 31, 2011. See the detailed list on CTV's website.
Tony Clement, pictured, doesn't make the top 10 for dollar spending, but he's top of the list for standby, with a total of 6,548 hours logged.
10. Keith Ashfield - $21,890.75
9. Lisa Raitt - $22,446.86
8. Denis Lebel - $25,046.34
7. Lawrence Cannon - $25,749.59
6. Rob Merrifield - $26,092.19
5. Jason Kenney - $26,702.87
4. Gerry Ritz - $27,817.25
3. Jim Flaherty - $34,941.14
2. Diane Finley - $36,027.78
1. Rona Ambrose - $38,383.95
The Tories came under attack Wednesday after CTV revealed more than $600,000 was paid to cabinet ministers' drivers for overtime.
Using documents obtained under Access to Information Laws, CTV foun...
The Tories came under attack Wednesday after CTV revealed more than $600,000 was paid to cabinet ministers' drivers for overtime.
Using documents obtained under Access to Information Laws, CTV foun...
No wonder Bev Oda balked at the suggestion that a $1000 dollar a day Limo Driver was extravagant during her wee stay in England- they were all doing the same GD thing in Ottawa for the previous year !!!!
As a Taxpayer it appears that now, not only am I being lied to daily,(F-35) but I'm being ripped off while they do it!
Spanky_McFarlane: No wonder Bev Oda balked at the suggestion that a
This is nothing but greed and entitlement. Doesn't anyone drive anymore or take a taxi or car pool! For each individual conservative MP to have their own limousine is disgraceful. Clement
can try to defend this but there is no defence it's pure selfishness! Now they are cutting support for our Troops with mental health issues like PTSD. It just keeps getting worse!
Marg_Wood: This is nothing but greed and entitlement. Doesn't anyone drive
I feel sorry for the drivers. Some people are ticked off at them for the juicy salaries they're making, as if it's their fault. I hate it when members of the 99% attack one of their own for being lucky enough to do well. The blame should be squarely on the ministers. They should be taking a cab, or a bus, or walk, or share a few government vehicles.
rr78: I feel sorry for the drivers. Some people are ticked
WoW! Rona Ambrose with 1000 hours of OT, WTF?
That's like what, 25 weeks work ? Do these so called 'Conservatives' even care about budgeting having racked up the largest deficit in Cdn history? It would appear they are willing to sweep it all under the carper of a 'Global Downturn' along with Harper's Bank Bailout in which he cleared Cdn Bank Books of the very HIGH RISK LOANS he approved only months before the economic calamity began.
Enough BS & enough of accepting these clowns as the best stewards of the economy' simply on their own say so. Their record says otherwise,IMO.
I think the PBO has established what their word is worth on the F-35 purchase. So I'd say it's time to start asking where that extra $10 Billion is coming from or are we all to work to age 70 plus to support this incompetence?
Spanky_McFarlane: WoW! Rona Ambrose with 1000 hours of OT, WTF? That's
If the drivers are getting OT doesn't that mean the MP's themselves are working OT.
Lots of reasons why drivers working for car services get paid OT and standby fees.
If they fly Gov.ca Air, people complain.
When they fly commercial, people complain.
Now its 'driving' thats the great excess.
Warren_Yuill: If the drivers are getting OT doesn't that mean the
I think they were on 'standby' and got paid overtime for it. Wouldn't that mean that while the big-wig is having dinner or chatting with his wife and planning what to do with the kids, the driver was sitting around somewhere 'on standby', i.e. waiting and available to drive aforesaid Mr. Big-wig to the corner store for chips and pop should the urgent need arrive?
DebbyM: I think they were on 'standby' and got paid overtime
Surely they can drive themselves!Think -If they get driven to a 3 hour meeting then that driver gets paid for those three hoursand sitting there doing nothing maybe.
Eileen_Warren: Surely they can drive themselves!Think -If they get driven to
What kind of self importance syndrome does it take to believe the only way you can travel is on a whim and with a private driver...at my, the taxpayer's expense. And while laying of and cutting back drastically where it will affect others and not you. Once again, opposition, are you keeping lists? Make sure this goes on it to remind us of the hypocrisy at next election time.
zort: What kind of self importance syndrome does it take to
Maybe all the cuts the Tories make would mean something if they weren't blowing money like drunken sailors. Nice to see the culture of entitlement lives on in Ottawa!
KNW: Maybe all the cuts the Tories make would mean something
Cabinet ministers' drivers made $600000 in overtime
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The Huffington Post Canada | By Michael Bolen Posted: 05/03/2012 10:34 am Updated: 05/04/2012 2:27 pm