More skulduggery in Ottawa

[BornRuff]

I seriously don't get why senators get to travel at all besides going home. There should be so many trips home allowed that is paid per year and the rest should be picked up by the senator. It would limit his expenses and we wouldn't need to audit their a$$es, which that too would save us money. Hell that should be the same for every MP. There is a Club Med mentality with the Canadian taxpayers money.

That is actually the exact system they have right now. They are given a set limit to the number of flights they can claim each year. The problem is that there is no limit to the amount of money that can be claimed for each of those flights.

With senators supposedly coming from all corners of Canada, a set monetary limit probably wouldn't be practical. What really needs to be changed is the procurement methods.

Most large companies have travel agents on staff who find the most cost effective and efficient way of getting employees from point A to B.

These do exist in other parts of the government(either in house or contracted out). The senate is simply lagging behind on these issues.

Senators should only be able to claim travel expense when sent somewhere to perform their duties. M.P.s should be able to claim expenses to and from their home riding each time parliament is in session. Flying back and forth on weekends to perform conjugal activities should be at their expense.

Well, "weekends" and "weekdays" are kind of a different concept for Senators since the Senate only actually sits around 65-85 days per year.

Senators are supposed to actually live in the areas that they represent. They are not all supposed to morph into "The Senator for Ottawa" after they are appointed.

So technically, when they have to be in Ottawa, they are being "sent" there for their job. Their home is whatever province they represent.

 

[JLM]

That is why I wonder why the government doesn't.

When I worked for the provincial gov't. I pretty much kept on top of my employees travel, methods and costs. I'd say it's actually up to the individual supervisor for most things. Air travel was pretty closely watched. When the travel vouchers are submitted the direct supervisor has to approve them and then they go either to the Reg. office or Victoria where close scrutiny is done. Of course one weak link in the chain where one person closes one eye can just "put sand in the ointment".

 

[SLM]

Sigh, I've said it before, I'll say it again. Post the damn expenses on line. What some Senate Oversight Committee may not get around to paying attention to (ie.abuses) I'm betting a savvy taxpayer will. Accountability. Period, end of story.

 

[JLM]

Sigh, I've said it before, I'll say it again. Post the damn expenses on line. What some Senate Oversight Committee may not get around to paying attention to (ie.abuses) I'm betting a savvy taxpayer will. Accountability. Period, end of story.

Oooooooh, might be easier said than done. For one thing the public service employee might think he/she should be afforded the same amount of privacy afforded to the private sector employee. Besides I think it would clog up cyber space. A better way is to make each employee's boss accountable and his/her pay depends on their vigilance in the matter.

 

[SLM]

Oooooooh, might be easier said than done. For one thing the public service employee might think he/she should be afforded the same amount of privacy afforded to the private sector employee. Besides I think it would clog up cyber space. A better way is to make each employee's boss accountable and his/her pay depends on their vigilance in the matter.

??? The Senate is what I'm talking about, we are the boss and how can we be vigilant if we don't know what they're up to?

 

[petros]

??? The Senate is what I'm talking about, we are the boss and how can we be vigilant if we don't know what they're up to?

Show me the P.O.s and invoices.

 

[SLM]

Show me the P.O.s and invoices.

Exactly!

 

[petros]

All nice and Democratic like considering we can't vote for who sits in the Senate.

 

[JLM]

??? The Senate is what I'm talking about, we are the boss and how can we be vigilant if we don't know what they're up to?

Realistically what percentage of the population is going to check Senators travel claims on a monthly basis and besides that how many would be able to tell if the expenses were reasonable? I don't think it would be effective.

 

[petros]

Realistically what percentage of the population is going to check Senators travel claims on a monthly basis... I don't think it would be effective.

All it takes is 1 in 35 million.

 

[BornRuff]

Transparency is nice, but since Senators never actually have to face the voters, it can only achieve so much.

What really needs to change are the actual processes and rules themselves. The problem is that what happened is actually well within the rules and normal operating procedure. If the rules allow it, there is little reason to expect them to change how they act long term.

 

[JLM]

All it takes is 1 in 35 million.

As long as his name is Harper!

Transparency is nice, but since Senators never actually have to face the voters, it can only achieve so much.

What really needs to change are the actual processes and rules themselves. The problem is that what happened is actually well within the rules and normal operating procedure. If the rules allow it, there is little reason to expect them to change how they act long term.

About the only way anything is going to happen is if about 1000 mean brutes march to Ottawa and haul the bastards out by the scruff of the neck and beat the sh*t out of them. That won't happen!

 

[BornRuff]

As long as his name is Harper!

Meh, what can he really do other than wag his finger at them?

About the only way anything is going to happen is if about 1000 mean brutes march to Ottawa and haul the bastards out by the scruff of the neck and beat the sh*t out of them. That won't happen!

Even then, they have a good health care plan and essentially unlimited sick days. They will be collecting that paycheck and expensing every dime until they turn 75 or die.

 

[Zipperfish]

Realistically what percentage of the population is going to check Senators travel claims on a monthly basis and besides that how many would be able to tell if the expenses were reasonable? I don't think it would be effective.

There people who check on those things all the time--newspaper reporters looking for a gummint waste story, small-gummint organizations like the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, opposition parties looking for dirt. That info is mostly available--online in some cases, or through acess to information processes in others.

 

[BornRuff]

There people who check on those things all the time--newspaper reporters looking for a gummint waste story, small-gummint organizations like the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, opposition parties looking for dirt. That info is mostly available--online in some cases, or through acess to information processes in others.

It really depends. Things like the sunshine list make for fun stories a few times per year, but really do not affect any change in how the government acts.

When exorbitant or illegal expenses are revealed in things under the control of a government that has to face reelection, often some action is taken, or at least the illusion of action.

For Senators who never have to face a voter and have no responsibility to take orders from anyone, it will be a lot harder to motivate them just through shaming.

 

[JLM]

It really depends. Things like the sunshine list make for fun stories a few times per year, but really do not affect any change in how the government acts.

When exorbitant or illegal expenses are revealed in things under the control of a government that has to face reelection, often some action is taken, or at least the illusion of action.

For Senators who never have to face a voter and have no responsibility to take orders from anyone, it will be a lot harder to motivate them just through shaming.

Then perhaps the only solution is to kill them.

 

[BornRuff]

Then perhaps the only solution is to kill them.

Say hi to the nice people at CSEC for me.