Tory minister racks up $150,000 in plane rentals

[RedHot25]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...6?hub=Politics

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/...-expenses.html

From the ctv article:

Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn spent almost $150,000 on rental aircraft flying around Quebec last year but didn't declare any of the flights as a travel expense, documents show.

In fact, the majority of the flights on privately hired planes don't show up anywhere in Blackburn's public disclosure of ministerial travel and were only revealed through an Access to Information request by NDP researchers.

NDP MP Pat Martin says it's all part of a "disturbing lack of transparency'' in the minority Conservative government.

"We don't mind ministers spending. It's normal,'' said Martin. "We want to know how much and how.''

....

Blackburn's office denies he is trying to hide anything.
"A big part of the minister's expenses are related to his work for the department, so they pay for it and disclose it,'' said Michel Lalonde, Blackburn's chief of staff.
"The minister's disclosure is for what he spends himself, in his functions as a minister.''

....

"It's disclosed somewhere, it's public,'' said Lalonde. "And ultimately, we all know it's linked to the minister's duties anyway. He's always the one who has to answer questions.''
While Blackburn's officials vehemently argue his expenses are all disclosed, there appears to be some confusion over when his ministerial duties should somehow be counted as departmental expenses.

The revelations come as Tory House leader Peter Van Loan launches what he's calling "Democratic Reform Week'' in the Commons, a week designed to highlight the minority government's accountability measures.
But many of the new rules appear aimed at Conservative adversaries as much as at general good governance.

....

An official from the Prime Minister's Office recently followed a journalist off Parliament Hill, then approached the reporter to challenge a story about the PMO's refusal to disclose how Harper's travelling hairdresser is being paid.
The official told the reporter three times that accountability measures are for crooks, not honest people.
It appears to be a theme in the Harper government.
While stressing the need for clear rules and transparency for others, the cabinet continues to tightly control information, censor documents and only selectively disclose ministerial expenses.

....

Martin of the NDP has been one of the government's strongest opposition supporters in pushing through its vaunted Accountability Act. He says now he spent a lot of "political capital'' backing the Tories and has become seriously disillusioned.
"There is a scheme going on to mislead Canadians about how the Conservatives are spending money,'' said the Winnipeg MP. "It's contradictory because they have cried bloody murder for years that the Liberals were not transparent and accountable, and now they are doing the same.''
"There is a deliberate conspiracy to masquerade the costs.''