Id say so
FIRE THE BITCH!!!
NEXT MOFO!!!
OTTAWA — Health Minister Jane Philpott spent about $1,700 having a car service drive her around the Greater Toronto Area for a day, according to documents obtained through access to information.
Philpott attended three events on March 31, travelling from her home in the federal riding of Markham—Stouffville to Hamilton, from Hamilton to Toronto, and back to her riding again to attend a gala.
It was a busy day that also included $211 in airfare, according to publicly available travel expense reports.
Philpott travelled to Hamilton that day to announce roughly $20 million in funding for chronic disease research at McMaster University.
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The day ended at a James Bond-themed gala at the Angus Glen Golf Club in support of the Evergreen Hospice in Stouffville.
The bill for ground transportation amounted to $1,709, including a $223 gratuity, all charged to Philpott’s Health Canada account.
That amount, which covered a full day’s worth of service, was paid to Executive Sedan Livery Service Inc., a Toronto-based limousine company. Its owner, Reza Shirani, was a volunteer on Philpott’s electoral campaign last year, his LinkedIn profile says.
Shirani told the National Post he is a member of the Liberal Party and has previously canvassed for other candidates. “I volunteer for everybody,” he said. “Any Liberal.”
He said he doesn’t believe Philpott was aware of his occupation, though he attended a gathering where she thanked campaign volunteers.
The services were booked “way after I was volunteering for her campaign,” Shirani said, adding the two don’t have a special relationship.
Philpott offered a written response to the National Post late Wednesday afternoon: “The cost incurred for travel in the GTA was too high and is something I find inappropriate, and I have already taken steps to prevent this from occurring in the future.”
Her office did not immediately reply to questions about the fact the owner of the company had worked on her campaign.
According to public disclosures, two staff members accompanied Philpott to her meetings March 31. Her director of communications, David Clements, expensed $865 that day, almost $600 of it on airfare, while chief of staff Genevieve Hinse spent $1,120, including $1,032 on flights.
In an answer to a June order paper question tabled in the House of Commons on limousine rentals, Health Canada said the minister “did not use rented limousines while on official business” between her appointment and April 22 of this year.
While the company used March 31 bills itself as a limousine provider it also rents out other types of vehicles, which could explain the discrepancy.
“Nobody’s suggesting a minister doesn’t need ground transportation,” tweeted Canadian Taxpayers Federation president Aaron Wudrick Wednesday. “But $1,700 for one day in the GTA? How is that reasonable?”
It looks “bad,” Wudrick suggested, that the minister paid for services from someone who had gone door-to-door for her during the election campaign.
“She should have spent $150 on a car rental and had one of her hundreds of staff drive her. There’s no excuse,” Conservative MP Michelle Rempel said in a tweet.
“I don’t agree with the Health min on everything, but she’s been solid,” Rempel continued. “Hopefully she apologizes / personally reimburses.”
Philpott is well-regarded on Parliament Hill, across party lines. While it’s not unusual for cabinet ministers to spend significant amounts on transportation, especially when events are scheduled closely together, natural resources minister Jim Carr drew fire for spending almost $1,800 on a February outing to a Winnipeg Jets hockey game, according to media reports from July, $525 of which went towards a one-kilometre limousine ride for a group of visiting energy ministers and ambas
FIRE THE BITCH!!!
NEXT MOFO!!!
OTTAWA — Health Minister Jane Philpott spent about $1,700 having a car service drive her around the Greater Toronto Area for a day, according to documents obtained through access to information.
Philpott attended three events on March 31, travelling from her home in the federal riding of Markham—Stouffville to Hamilton, from Hamilton to Toronto, and back to her riding again to attend a gala.
It was a busy day that also included $211 in airfare, according to publicly available travel expense reports.
Philpott travelled to Hamilton that day to announce roughly $20 million in funding for chronic disease research at McMaster University.
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The day ended at a James Bond-themed gala at the Angus Glen Golf Club in support of the Evergreen Hospice in Stouffville.
The bill for ground transportation amounted to $1,709, including a $223 gratuity, all charged to Philpott’s Health Canada account.
That amount, which covered a full day’s worth of service, was paid to Executive Sedan Livery Service Inc., a Toronto-based limousine company. Its owner, Reza Shirani, was a volunteer on Philpott’s electoral campaign last year, his LinkedIn profile says.
Shirani told the National Post he is a member of the Liberal Party and has previously canvassed for other candidates. “I volunteer for everybody,” he said. “Any Liberal.”
He said he doesn’t believe Philpott was aware of his occupation, though he attended a gathering where she thanked campaign volunteers.
The services were booked “way after I was volunteering for her campaign,” Shirani said, adding the two don’t have a special relationship.
Philpott offered a written response to the National Post late Wednesday afternoon: “The cost incurred for travel in the GTA was too high and is something I find inappropriate, and I have already taken steps to prevent this from occurring in the future.”
Her office did not immediately reply to questions about the fact the owner of the company had worked on her campaign.
According to public disclosures, two staff members accompanied Philpott to her meetings March 31. Her director of communications, David Clements, expensed $865 that day, almost $600 of it on airfare, while chief of staff Genevieve Hinse spent $1,120, including $1,032 on flights.
In an answer to a June order paper question tabled in the House of Commons on limousine rentals, Health Canada said the minister “did not use rented limousines while on official business” between her appointment and April 22 of this year.
While the company used March 31 bills itself as a limousine provider it also rents out other types of vehicles, which could explain the discrepancy.
“Nobody’s suggesting a minister doesn’t need ground transportation,” tweeted Canadian Taxpayers Federation president Aaron Wudrick Wednesday. “But $1,700 for one day in the GTA? How is that reasonable?”
It looks “bad,” Wudrick suggested, that the minister paid for services from someone who had gone door-to-door for her during the election campaign.
“She should have spent $150 on a car rental and had one of her hundreds of staff drive her. There’s no excuse,” Conservative MP Michelle Rempel said in a tweet.
“I don’t agree with the Health min on everything, but she’s been solid,” Rempel continued. “Hopefully she apologizes / personally reimburses.”
Philpott is well-regarded on Parliament Hill, across party lines. While it’s not unusual for cabinet ministers to spend significant amounts on transportation, especially when events are scheduled closely together, natural resources minister Jim Carr drew fire for spending almost $1,800 on a February outing to a Winnipeg Jets hockey game, according to media reports from July, $525 of which went towards a one-kilometre limousine ride for a group of visiting energy ministers and ambas
