The U.K. government is mired in an expense scandal. Canadian MPs are bobbing and weaving about releasing details on how they spend taxpayers’ money. Meanwhile, the public is getting frustrated.
All the more reason for politicians to be transparent about their spending numbers, says Alberta Liberal Leader Dr. David Swann. “Every political organization that receives public funds needs to be accountable,” he says. “People want to know that we’re not abusing the public trust and public purse.”
The Liberals are pushing for the province to create a website detailing MLA expenses. The idea is part of the Liberals’ recently released Clean Government Initiative — a 12-step accountability agenda aimed at regaining the public trust.
Each MLA receives about $129,000 annually to cover costs for office space, staffing and supplies, says Swann. Instead of waiting for the government to enact a policy, the Liberals plan to launch their own website revealing MLA expenses.
“The only question is how much time, energy and frustration one is willing to put into it to itemize every part of a lunch, for example,” Swann says. “We could be spending way too much time on accountability stuff that doesn’t mean much in the end.”
Comments: 1
Judy J. Johnson wrote:
Kudos to the Liberals!
Judy J. Johnson
on Jun 3rd, 2010 at 12:01pm Report Abuse
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