{~_~} Раиса
2014-03-29 02:06:57 UTC
| Mar 26, 2014 - iPolitics
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is abusing taxpayer’s money by using the
government’s Challenger jets for Conservative party business and
repaying only a fraction of the cost, says former Conservative MP Brent
Rathgeber.
“I think it’s an abuse of taxpayers money,” Rathgeber said in an
interview with iPolitics. “Ironically, Alberta just went through an
event where the premier was forced or convinced to resign based on
travel costs using government aircraft that couldn’t be justified.”
Rathgeber, who was elected MP for Edmonton-St. Albert as a member of
Harper’s Conservatives but who now sits as an independent, said he
understands why the prime minister can’t hop on a commercial flight.
However, he said Harper and the Conservative Party should have to
reimburse the full cost to taxpayers of using the government jets and
repay the government for the cost of the flights that have already been
taken.
“I understand the need to make other arrangements but the concept or the
suggestion that reimbursement (be) based on the equivalent of an economy
flight it’s laughable.”
“I’m sure it is no more than a fifth at most of the actual cost of
running that Challenger which is thousands of dollars per hour. If, for
security reasons, the prime minister or any other officials are flying
to a party event using a chartered government aircraft, the cost that
should be reimbursed by the party is the actual cost of that trip, not
an economy ticket.”
Rathgeber’s comments come after iPolitics revealed that the Conservative
Party has been saving thousands of dollars by using government
Challenger Aircraft for Harper, staff and MPs to travel to Conservative
Party events across the country.
The Conservative Party has reimbursed DND 17 times since April 2006 for
a total of $37,272. However, with the cost of flying the Challengers
ranging between $2,314 and $3,868 an hour, those flights cost taxpayers
more than $118,090.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The government argues the prime minister can’t fly on commercial planes
for security reasons.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Consequently, the Harper reimburses the department of National Defence
for the equivalent of a commercial plane ticket when he takes family or
friends along on the Challenger on personal trips and the Conservative
Party does the same when it is used entirely on party business.
The Conservative Party does not appear to reimburse the government when
the trip contains a mix of government and party business such as an
announcement followed by a fundraising event.
The PMO quashed an early attempt by DND in 2006 to bill the Conservative
Party for the full cost of using Challenger jets for travel to party
events, directing that the party and the prime minister would pay the
equivalent of an economy ticket on a commercial flight.
However, Rathgeber says there is a big difference between travelling on
a regularly scheduled commercial flight and travelling on a government
Challenger jet.
“A commercial flight won’t wait an hour because the fundraiser goes
extra long or because the baseball game in New York goes into extra
innings. It doesn’t stop and start based on your instruction. It’s an
entirely different method of flight and its cost, appropriately, is much
more than an economy flight on a commercial plane or even a first class
flight on a commercial plane.”
Rathgeber said the Conservative party and the prime minister should
reimburse the real cost of flying the Challengers for private or party
travel – not the “highly deflated” cost of an economy ticket.
“If it’s not government business, the taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for
those flights. That should be paid either by the party if it’s party
business or by the prime minister if it is a vacation or personal business.”
Rathgeber said the question of the use of government aircraft is top of
mind for his constituents at the moment. The difference between the cost
of the flights Harper has taken for Conservative Party business and the
amount the party has repaid is greater than the $45,000 in flights that
led Alberta Premier Alison Redford to resign, he pointed out.
“It was abuse and alleged abuse of government aircraft and charter
aircraft that ultimately led to the demise of the premier of Alberta and
based on some of the numbers that you have published it would appear
that we are talking about a lot less money than what the prime minister
has been racking up on party business.”
As for reimbursing taxpayers for personal travel “that is why we’re paid
a salary to cover the cost associated with our personal vacations,” he said.
However, Rick Dykstra, Conservative MP for the Ontario riding of St.
Catharines, defends the system now in place.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is abusing taxpayer’s money by using the
government’s Challenger jets for Conservative party business and
repaying only a fraction of the cost, says former Conservative MP Brent
Rathgeber.
“I think it’s an abuse of taxpayers money,” Rathgeber said in an
interview with iPolitics. “Ironically, Alberta just went through an
event where the premier was forced or convinced to resign based on
travel costs using government aircraft that couldn’t be justified.”
Rathgeber, who was elected MP for Edmonton-St. Albert as a member of
Harper’s Conservatives but who now sits as an independent, said he
understands why the prime minister can’t hop on a commercial flight.
However, he said Harper and the Conservative Party should have to
reimburse the full cost to taxpayers of using the government jets and
repay the government for the cost of the flights that have already been
taken.
“I understand the need to make other arrangements but the concept or the
suggestion that reimbursement (be) based on the equivalent of an economy
flight it’s laughable.”
“I’m sure it is no more than a fifth at most of the actual cost of
running that Challenger which is thousands of dollars per hour. If, for
security reasons, the prime minister or any other officials are flying
to a party event using a chartered government aircraft, the cost that
should be reimbursed by the party is the actual cost of that trip, not
an economy ticket.”
Rathgeber’s comments come after iPolitics revealed that the Conservative
Party has been saving thousands of dollars by using government
Challenger Aircraft for Harper, staff and MPs to travel to Conservative
Party events across the country.
The Conservative Party has reimbursed DND 17 times since April 2006 for
a total of $37,272. However, with the cost of flying the Challengers
ranging between $2,314 and $3,868 an hour, those flights cost taxpayers
more than $118,090.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The government argues the prime minister can’t fly on commercial planes
for security reasons.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Consequently, the Harper reimburses the department of National Defence
for the equivalent of a commercial plane ticket when he takes family or
friends along on the Challenger on personal trips and the Conservative
Party does the same when it is used entirely on party business.
The Conservative Party does not appear to reimburse the government when
the trip contains a mix of government and party business such as an
announcement followed by a fundraising event.
The PMO quashed an early attempt by DND in 2006 to bill the Conservative
Party for the full cost of using Challenger jets for travel to party
events, directing that the party and the prime minister would pay the
equivalent of an economy ticket on a commercial flight.
However, Rathgeber says there is a big difference between travelling on
a regularly scheduled commercial flight and travelling on a government
Challenger jet.
“A commercial flight won’t wait an hour because the fundraiser goes
extra long or because the baseball game in New York goes into extra
innings. It doesn’t stop and start based on your instruction. It’s an
entirely different method of flight and its cost, appropriately, is much
more than an economy flight on a commercial plane or even a first class
flight on a commercial plane.”
Rathgeber said the Conservative party and the prime minister should
reimburse the real cost of flying the Challengers for private or party
travel – not the “highly deflated” cost of an economy ticket.
“If it’s not government business, the taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for
those flights. That should be paid either by the party if it’s party
business or by the prime minister if it is a vacation or personal business.”
Rathgeber said the question of the use of government aircraft is top of
mind for his constituents at the moment. The difference between the cost
of the flights Harper has taken for Conservative Party business and the
amount the party has repaid is greater than the $45,000 in flights that
led Alberta Premier Alison Redford to resign, he pointed out.
“It was abuse and alleged abuse of government aircraft and charter
aircraft that ultimately led to the demise of the premier of Alberta and
based on some of the numbers that you have published it would appear
that we are talking about a lot less money than what the prime minister
has been racking up on party business.”
As for reimbursing taxpayers for personal travel “that is why we’re paid
a salary to cover the cost associated with our personal vacations,” he said.
However, Rick Dykstra, Conservative MP for the Ontario riding of St.
Catharines, defends the system now in place.