Senator Pamela Wallin appears to have reined in her travel expenses during the spring quarter as auditors continue to probe her spending.
Wallin claimed $16,183.01 in travel expenses, excluding the costs of her travel between Ottawa and her Wadena, Sask. home, from March 1 to May 31, according to quarterly expense reports released by the Senate this week.
Wallin claimed $16,183.01 in travel expenses, excluding the costs of her travel between Ottawa and her Wadena, Sask. home, from March 1 to May 31, according to quarterly expense reports released by the Senate this week.
It is a stark drop from the $34,500 in quarterly expenses Wallin averaged since September 2010.
But that was before the embattled senator fell under intense scrutiny for her travel habits, with external auditors from Deloitte now pouring through more than $321,000 in claims she racked up since September 2010. The audit is expected to be released in July.
Although Wallin’s claims for “other” travel decreased, her spending on travel to her home rose during this time period hitting a record $24,364.38, compared to a quarterly average of $3,023.
The numbers in both categories may be even lower, according to Wallin’s office, as more than half the activity reported during the last quarter actually took place during the preceding two quarters.
Wallin’s office wouldn’t say why the spending patterns changed, only stating in an email: “The amounts are for air fares, hotels and per diems incurred flying to and from (the National Capital Region) to Senator Wallin’s home province (regular travel) or for travel on Senate business elsewhere in Canada (other travel).”
In an interview with Peter Mansbridge on CBC’s The National last week, Wallin admitted some mistakes were made, but that some of her other expenses were stops for Senate business en route to her Saskatchewan home.
“I am still going home. That doesn’t count as travel to my home. It counts as ‘other’ so the numbers in this category are large,” she said in the interview.
Some senators continue to rack up travel bills
Not all senators appear to be taking Wallin’s situation as a cautionary tale.
Conservative senator Thanh Hai Ngo, who was appointed last September and is from the Ottawa suburb of Orleans, Ont., has already made $52,400 in travel claims.
Ngo told Global News he travels across Canada visiting Vietnamese community groups. He would not say what he spoke to them about, but considers such work part of his Senate duties.
“One of the roles of the Senate is to serve the community and to serve all Canadians,” Ngo said. “I work seven days a week.”
The government leader in the Senate, Marjory LeBreton, said she is going to be looking into some of the higher expense claims filed over the last quarter.
But she defended Ngo saying he was in high demand for speaking engagements because he was the first Vietnamese person named to the Senate.
Senators are allowed to claim expenses for travel related to their parliamentary functions – but what that entails is not crystal clear. The pursuit of personal interest may or may not be considered public business, under the Senate’s travel policies.
Tightened rules on travel expenses introduced in the wake of the audits will require senators to be more explicit in explaining the purpose of their travel.
Conservative Senator Larry Smith said the new rules try to balance tax dollars with the ability of senators to do their jobs.
“Senators were appointed to represent regions of this country and part of that is to get into those regions and talk with people to find out what’s on their minds and at the same time give people feedback,” he said.
$90,000 cheque hits Senate books
The $90,000 cheque – now the subject of an RCMP investigation – to Senator Mike Duffy from Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s former chief of staff Nigel Wright is also apparent in the quarterly reports.
Duffy’s report shows a $17,126.21 repayment in housing allowance – the proportion of the total due for the year 2012-2013. The rest of the money has been received and applied against the claims made since 2008-2009.
“I can confirm the $90,000 was repaid, I can confirm it, I actually saw the cheque myself,” said Senator Gerald Comeau, head of the Board of Internal Economy Committee.
Duffy was at work on Friday, but wouldn’t comment on the RCMP investigation, which is exploring a possible breach of trust.
“It would be inappropriate for me to make any comment while these matters are under investigation,” he said.
Senators Patrick Brazeau and Mac Harb were also audited by Deloitte and the Senate recommended they repay their housing claims on May 9. The quarterly reports show both men continued to post claims for living expenses up until the end of May.
Both senators are fighting the Board of Internal Economy’s findings about their eligibility for housing claims in the National Capital Region.
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