Conservatives attack Military Vet over moving expenses

[Zulu29]

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/busines...404/story.html

Personally I think it's just because the guy is advising for the Liberals but who knows...

[Swarez]

So who approved the expenses?
But I'm confused it costs 72000 to move him from one ottawa home to another?

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by Swarez

So who approved the expenses?
But I'm confused it costs 72000 to move him from one ottawa home to another?

If there is a house buyback clause in the contract, I could see it costing this much, but it certainly seems a little on the excessive side.

[ken0042]

Looks like they also covered realtor fees. If he lived in a $2M house- that would make sense.

[kirant]

Originally Posted by Swarez

But I'm confused it costs 72000 to move him from one ottawa home to another?

I had the same thought. Some parts of it don't really make a lot of sense unless the claims are a little different than what I'm imagining; 72,000 to move about 5 minutes from your old home is a little pricey. It could very easily be a legal expenditure, just really extravagant, but I think it raises an interesting question about whether or not there should be a cap on expenditure from two locations in the same city.

[Zulu29]

I think moving within a city is questionable but I sure hope CF and RCMP veterans don't lose the ability to do a retirement move because of this. Maybe Undercover brother or Captain Crunch can shed some light on this.

[Zulu29]

And apparently he bought his house for 400,000 and sold it for 1,000,000. Wanted to downsize and the bulk of the 72,000 was realtor fees.

[JonDuke]

Is that normal for realtor fees on a million dollar house?

[Zulu29]

Originally Posted by JonDuke

Is that normal for realtor fees on a million dollar house?

That's a good question...when I sold a house in the past my realtor charged me 6% on the first 100,000 and 3% on the remaining balance. Who knows what it is now.

EDIT:

Just did some quick math, using that rate above it would be 33,000 in realtor fees for a million dollar house.

[mac_82]

Originally Posted by Zulu29

That's a good question...when I sold a house in the past my realtor charged me 6% on the first 100,000 and 3% on the remaining balance. Who knows what it is now.

EDIT:

Just did some quick math, using that rate above it would be 33,000 in realtor fees for a million dollar house.

Out east (Toronto/Ottawa) the going rate can be a 5% flat rate. $50 000 on a million dollar home.

[Kjesse]

It appears to me that it was a proper use based on the policy, and at the same time an abuse of the intent of that policy.

[polak]

It appears to me that this is another ridiculous anti-conservative thread title.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by Delgar

It appears to me that it was a proper use based on the policy, and at the same time an abuse of the intent of that policy.

How was it an abuse?

[RougeUnderoos]

You just know that if this guy was tapped to run in the next election as a Conservative, the Minister of Defense would be bitching about this just the same. Petty political posturing is just so beneath The Harper Canada.

Anyway the story says this guy moved 18 times during his 35 year military career, so basically every couple years. Now he's moving into a smaller house.

Maybe on top of the real estate fees and any other legal mumbo jumbo to deal with, he hired someone to get rid of all his family's excess stuff that he can't take with him? That's pricey. Then someone to pack up and move the rest of his stuff, which ain't free either.

Yada yada yada... If the expenses turn out to be stuff like "paid brother 11 grand to dispose of fridge and clean out garage" and "rented neighbour's truck for $1000 an hour" then this is dodgy.

If it's an old guy who took advantage of a gold-plated policy to move on the company dime at the end of his career, then good for him. Sounds like he's earned it.

[Tinordi]

This is seriously the only article you need to read on this issue:

http://o.canada.com/news/no-one-gets...pense-debacle/

The strategy from Trudeau’s camp, and from Liberal Tweegionaires, has been to cast this story as further evidence of the Harper government’s fundamental meanness, and an attack on veterans. But here’s the thing: Even disgraced brigadier-general Dan Menard’s move to the UAE, according to CP’s Brewster, cost under $40,000. And lower-echelon military families have been involved in a protracted fight with DND over repayment of costs they incurred in their own moves, when their homes were sold in depressed markets. How could an overseas shift, logically, be less costly for taxpayers than one within Ottawa? And is there one standard for the brass and another for the ordinary soldier?

These are fair questions. They and more like them should be expected by Trudeau and his team, for this reason: They have held themselves up as reformers, who intend to play the game differently, with greater moral fibre than their opponents. It’s the very same claim Preston Manning and Reform began making in the late 1980s – yet here we are. It’s not good enough, therefore, for Leslie to say he followed all the rules (and there is no evidence at all to the contrary, that I have seen.) That’s a particularly weak argument for accepting an entitlement that most reasonable people would find overly generous, coming from a would-be crusader for accountability.

That said, Nicholson and the Conservatives aren’t anything close to blameless in this debacle. The defence minister’s office claims the story, broken Saturday by CTV, emerged from an access to information request. Many suspect it was leaked, to throw a wrench in the works at this week’s Liberal convention in Montreal, where Leslie is to speak. Either way, the dignified response from a minister of the Crown would have been to express concern, say it’s being looked into, then clam up. That also would have been politically smart.

But such subtlety is beyond the ken of our Conservatives. Nicholson lunged at the story like a Schnauzer for a scrap of meat, tarring the general publicly, sight unseen, and rendering any subsequent investigation meaningless. This left the New Democrats to take up a function traditionally performed by the media: Coming down from the hills after the battle to shoot the wounded. Senior members of Team Orange, who also are about doing politics differently, spent the weekend with a six-gun in each hand, blasting Liberals for being entitled and Conservatives for being nasty, with ill-concealed glee. Are they aware, all these partisans, how very similar they look from beyond the magic bubble?

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by polak

It appears to me that this is another ridiculous anti-conservative thread title.

Explain. Seems accurate to me.

The Conservatives really are not making any friends with the veterans:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novasco...ZwDbKI.twitter

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

Explain. Seems accurate to me.

The Conservatives really are not making any friends with the veterans:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novasco...ZwDbKI.twitter

You are right, it is much more accurate to say 'Conservatives Attack Military Vet Over Moving Expenses" rather than something like "Taxpayers foot $72000 bill for move to home 5 minutes away".

[Zulu29]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

You are right, it is much more accurate to say 'Conservatives Attack Military Vet Over Moving Expenses" rather than something like "Taxpayers foot $72000 bill for move to home 5 minutes away".

The term "attack" was used by several media outlets, I was just using the phrase. I'll be more neutral next time, sorry. However Nicholson did come out swinging against Leslie, that action from a minister of the crown is fairly unprecedented I'd say. Also, feel free to discuss the issue at hand rather than pick fly crap out of pepper.

[CaptainCrunch]

I think that at this point there does need to be a item by item disclosure of this based on the cost.

And questions about why within 3 months of the sale Andrew Leslie's daughter got hired by a real estate firm that made a big commission on the deal.

Right now, to me it appears that Leslie followed the rules and exploited the system in place.

I think the whole strategy of why are the conservatives such big meanies employed by the Liberals is pretty weak.

This isn't attacking a hard luck veteran suffering from injuries or PTSD, this is a very successful Military officer who retired and went into politics and almost instantly put in a claim for $72,000.00 it does bear disclosure.

[Zulu29]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I think that at this point there does need to be a item by item disclosure of this based on the cost.

And questions about why within 3 months of the sale Andrew Leslie's daughter got hired by a real estate firm that made a big commission on the deal.

Right now, to me it appears that Leslie followed the rules and exploited the system in place.

I think the whole strategy of why are the conservatives such big meanies employed by the Liberals is pretty weak.

This isn't attacking a hard luck veteran suffering from injuries or PTSD, this is a very successful Military officer who retired and went into politics and almost instantly put in a claim for $72,000.00 it does bear disclosure.

I agree with you that he took the perk when it shouldn't be there in the first place (only for moving within the same city). However it doesn't matter if he was wounded has PTSD or whatever, this is a benefit given to retired CF and RCMP members to thank them for their service and help them get to their preferred retirement location.