Is the NDP the best choice for managing our money?

[Carmencat]

Received this in an email:

Layton and his wife aren't doing too bad for a couple of socialists eh!!

For those who pride themselves on their ability to separate needs from wants, and have not been insolvent, Harper has proven to be a competent leader as shown by the following expenses claimed by various MP's.

For the most recent 12 month on-line report on MP expenses (excluding salaries) here is a sample:

NDP

Jack Layton $628,913

Olivia Chow $530,304 ( Jack's wife!)

Megan Leslie $502,279

Pat Martin $508,773

LIBERAL

Michael Ignatieff $570,984

CONSERVATIVE

Steven Harper $281,255

Peter MacKay $392,660.

The highest expense claim award goes to Jack Layton, leader of the NDP, followed by Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Liberals. Just think how much more these two could suck out of taxpayers if they ever got into power! Jack & Olivia (one family) managed to take over one million dollars in expenses in a 12 month period out of the public purse! Jack should ask Sheila Fraser the Auditor General to legitimize these exorbitant "expenses" submitted by NDP members. Don't forget, these expenses are in addition to a MINIMUM of $147,700 per MP in salary dollars!

These were taxpayers' dollars they used.....yet we don't have enough most weeks to cover OUR expenses!!(and it's getting worse)





VOTE WISELY!!!

[oneh2obabe]

Don't the expenses listed include air fare to and from the MP's riding plus living expenses for accommodation, food and transportation while in Ottawa? Seeing that Harper resides at 24 Sussex Drive and has an official summer residence at Harrington Lake, both maintained and furnished by the National Capital Commission, he doesn't claim the same living expenses as other MP's. Kind of makes your listing one-sided.

[Smurf]

I also believe Layton lives in Toronto, not exactly an expensive journey. What do they do take seperate limo's home every night. If I remember right these are the same two who were caught charging to live in a home that her mother owned. They moved out shortly after it was announced. Over a million dollars in expenses does seem expensive to me, especially in a time of fiscal restraint.

[Corneliousrooster]

Firstly this selects specific party members (I suspect to show the extremes in spending)

From what I see their spending seems to have paid off - they have gone from #3 and practically non-existent (to the point where the 2 MAJOR parties hardly even take stock of them) to #2 - obliterating the liberals, breathing down the conservatives necks forcing the #1 and #2 to change their attacks in the last leg - having "NDP led Minority" being tossed around conversations that would have seemed mere fantasy the last election.

Looks to me like Jack and co. got some serious results from their spending - how about iggy? how are those results?

the NDP spent $$$ and is forecast to dramatically increase their seats
the liberals spent$$$ and is forecast to wither and die
the conservatives spent$$$ and is forecast to remain about the same and possibly lose seats
the Bloc spent $$$ and they are predicted to go the way of the dinosaur while several of their members who spent$$$ have just backed the NDP

Looks to me like the NDP got the best bang for $$$ while the rest of them spent tax payers money to regress ...... ya - the NDP are the bad guys .....

[NAB]

Ya, I guess I could buy in to that logic if "success" is to be measured in political gain or loss for a particular party or individual in a party, ...and not in what is best for the country as a whole.

Nab

[Corneliousrooster]

Ya, I guess I could buy in to that logic if "success" is to be measured in political gain or loss for a particular party or individual in a party, ...and not in what is best for the country as a whole.

Nab

Yes - because we all know that MP spending is for "helping our country as a whole" . Mp's never fly across the country for photo ops and speaking engagements and business deals. It would have been far smarter for Layton to come in with the smallest budget but never leave his home province so at the end of the day everyone could say that that NDP guy who no one knows is fiscally responsible but who is he again????

the #'s that I have found show totals and no other information. a lot of the travel expenses would make sense of the discrepencies if we knew where the destinations were and what they were for (We don't) A rural mp for example should have a much higher travel expense than an urban MP based on airfare alone. It also states that some of the travel can be designated to staff under an MP, so perhaps some of the travel was to get specific staff somewhere for a purpose - these #'s don't really say much of anything with no specifics - but it s nice to make issues out of speculation.....

[NAB]

I guess you missed the point again. Oh well....

Nab

[Corneliousrooster]

I guess you missed the point again. Oh well....

Nab

Or perhaps I got your point and disagree with it (again). Oh well....

[intheknow]

I was leaning towards the NDP because I find harper just such a two faced liar i cant stand him or Jim Flarety
But then I read an article today about how jack layton and his immigrent wife (both MP,s) making big bucks
got caught a few years ago living in a federaly subsidized low income house in the name of her unemployed Immigrent mother
Talk about crooked.

[Al Czervic]

Damn. If only Cullen hadn’t proposed we ban tanker traffic from our coast.

That is the part about the NDP that always scares the hell out of my. It is one thing to spend like a drunken sailor but the scary part with the NDP is that anything that might actually generate wealth to pay for that spending the NDP ALWAYS OPPOSE. Mines, offshore oil, gas pipelines, you name it the NDP oppose it. Meanwhile for the business sector the NDP want to tax the hell out of that as well. It just boggles my mind how the NDP always want to spend money but then they oppose economic developments that actually make money.

[sooperphreek]

doesnt matter who is in there. we are told what to do by the IMF and the "world" bank. besides.....we can at least hope that their budget wouldnt try to hide things causing a no confidence motion.