Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Ashley Legassic / James Peters / Global News

FEDERAL ELECTION

McLeod among Ottawa’s top spenders for spousal travel expenses

Sep 11, 2019 | 4:13 PM

KAMLOOPS — Local Conservative candidate Cathy McLeod is among Ottawa’s top spenders for spousal travel expenses over the past four years.

Expenditure reports for Members of Parliament were released yesterday — and they show McLeod and five other MPs spent more than $100,000 over the past four years on trips for their spouses from their respective ridings to Ottawa.

MPs can pick one person with whom to share free travel allowances. In McLeod’s case, that person is her husband, Gord.

As incumbent Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP, McLeod was fifth on the list for top designated traveller expenses, spending $110,035. In first was the Conservative MP for Cariboo-Prince George, Todd Doherty. He claimed a total of $142,236 in travel expenses for his wife over the last four years.

North Okanagan-Shuswap Conservative Mel Arnold was fourth on the list, claiming $121,138.

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The vast majority of MPs spent less than $50,000 on designated travellers.

McLeod says it’s reasonable MPs from the furthest reaches of the country would have the highest expenses.

“That list is all the western Members of Parliament. So whether it’s my personal travel or my designated traveller, our expenses of course are much higher than someone that’s from Toronto.”

While parliament doesn’t cap the dollar amount MPs can spend, McLeod says it issues MPs a certain amount of travel points that correspond to flights.

“It is significant dollars, absolutely,” said McLeod. “We live in a vast country. Because we live in B.C., we use the same number (of flights), it just costs significantly more dollars. I’m not sure we should be disadvantaged compared to MPs in Quebec and Toronto.”

“Say, for example, [a Toronto MP] used ten travel points, the costs would be significantly less than a B.C. MP who used ten travel points. They limit the number of points but they recognize that the country is huge and there will be different costs for different members.”

“There is no question, travel is expensive,” continued McLeod. “I’m just very thankful I have such a supportive spouse and partner who is able to join me.”