WINNIPEG: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) applauded mayoral candidate and former MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis for committing to bring transparency to City Hall today. As a display of her commitment, the CTF is calling on her to disclose how she spent $2,046,962 as a Member of Parliament from 2000-01 to 2008-09.
“It is great that Ms. Wasylycia-Leis supports transparency at City Hall,” said CTF Prairie Director Colin Craig. “Hopefully she will put her money where her mouth is today by disclosing how she spent over $2 million during her 13 years as a Member of Parliament.”
MP expense totals are only available online from 2001-01 to 2008-09. Currently, details on how the money was actually spent are off limits to both the public and the Auditor General.
When former School Board Trustee and current councillor John Orlikow announced his intention to run for council, the CTF investigated his expenses with the Winnipeg School Division’s Board.
“If someone is going to jump from one level of government to another, it’s fair to ask what they did with public funds in their previous position,” added Craig. “We took a look at Councillor John Orlikow’s expenses when he was school trustee, but all MP expenses, including Judy Wasylycia-Leis’s are kept hidden from the public.”
To date, the only MP in Canada that releases details of her expenses is Liberal MP Michelle Simson from Scarborough Southwest.
To view her summary details of Ms. Wasylycia-Leis’s expenses as MP click here (pdf).
Colin Craig, Prairie Director
