CALGARY- Premier Alison Redford is getting a lump of coal in her stocking this year, from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).
The group released their annual ‘Naughty & Nice to Taxpayers’ list, which puts politicians under the microscope based on their achievements and costs to taxpayers.
Topping the list this year was Redford who spent nearly $83,000—much of it on travel—including $876 per night hotel rooms in Washington, and ordering a $31 hamburger. She also billed $7,875 for a plane ticket to New Brunswick.
Minister of Finance Doug Horner came in second, because the province faces a large debt and deficit.
Thomas Lukaszuk, minister of jobs, expensed $45,325 worth of charges in 2013, including over $9,000 as part of a trip to Europe. He also skipped the drive and opted to fly between Calgary and Edmonton 17 times.
The CTF came up with the list, based on Freedom of Information requests for cabinet ministers’ expenses.
“Alberta has a nation-leading expense disclosure policy in place that allows us to examine the expenses of most senior government officials with relative ease,” said CTF Alberta Director Derek Fildebrandt.
It wasn’t all bad news though, with the CTF also releasing its ‘nice’ list.
That includes Jonathan Denis who had the most “boring expense claim of anyone in the government,” with the CTF finding he went to a German beer hall and didn’t even expense a single drink.
Wayne Drysdale also made the list thanks to his frugality. Drysdale’s hotel room during the Calgary Stampede only cost taxpayers $177 per night, compared to other ministers who rang up tabs of more than $600 per night.
Rounding out the list was Jason Luan, who only expensed $381 the entire year.
Click here to see the full results.
Comments