LETTER

MP’s travel expenses

 

A recent report on Member of Parliament expenditures highlighted that Pontiac Liberal MP Will Amos has some of the highest single hospitality expenditures out of all 338 Members of Parliament. Large dollar claims aside, Mr Amos has also made smaller expense claims that I would consider unbecoming. Buried online is one such claim for $6.70, at an Ottawa coffee shop near Parliament Hill.

Currently, Members of Parliament earn a $172,700 annual base salary. They earn an even higher salary if they are appointed to additional Parliamentary roles.

MPs are allowed to expenses items related to their jobs, and legitimate expense claims should not be thought ill of, but I respectfully encourage Mr Amos to be mindful of his expenses going forward, and to always consider the taxpayer first.

Benjamin Woodman
Gatineau

(Editor’s note: While Mr Amos conducted a lengthy series of town-hall meetings across the riding last year, his riding is also one of the largest in Canada, and travel expenses are traditionally high, especially given the riding’s Third-World lack of public transportation and internet & phone communications.)