Justin Time
From the inbox:
The recent ethical lapses in the Prime Minister’s office show Canadians need more openness and accountability from their Leaders.
Some people think that change can come from the top-down. But I know that real change can only come from Canadians like you.
That’s why today I announced our Open Parliament plan including common sense reforms, like posting all Parliamentarians’ expenses online and developing a clear role for the Auditor-General in ensuring proper spending in Parliament.
Now I want you to help me build on this plan.
Canadians know the difference between right and wrong. Now I want your ideas on how we can ensure that our representatives in Ottawa play by the same rules as everyone else.
Take a minute to give me your input on how we can raise the bar on transparency, and share your opinion on the common sense reforms I’ve already proposed:
OK, I’ll start and in the spirit of bi-partisanship, I would agree all MPs expenses should be online, if they weren’t already. It will tell you, for instance, that Julian Fantino, who’s riding is over 4-hours to Ottawa spends almost $40,000 less in expenditures than Justin Trudeau, who’s riding is less than an hour from Ottawa.
Now, how about we post online all monies earned by MPs, from all sources.
Trudeau went on to explain what he called a four-point plan:
– Posting MPs’ and senators’ expenses online.
(Senators expenses aren’t posted online)
– Introducing legislation in the fall that would mandate that the MPs’ board of internal economy, an all-party and generally secretive expense-monitoring committee, hold its meetings in public, except in exceptional circumstances.
(I don’t think anyone disagrees that this is a good plan)
– Reporting on MPs’ expenses will be done quarterly and on spreadsheets so that the data can be searched and run though software programs.
(meh, whatever)
– The House and Senate boards of internal economy should work with the auditor general to develop mandatory performance audits of the House of Commons and Senate administration every three years, and public guidelines under which the auditor general is called in to perform more detailed audits of parliamentary spending.
(I actually kinda like the last point, but meh)
Your comments about spending are valid, though I’d imagine the leader of a party would have additional expenses to incur — (that said PMSH spends less than JT, according to the gc.ca expenditures).
You’re ‘share your ideas’ link isn’t working.
Thank-you Justin you have my vote.
Your link to Trudeau’s page is broken.
Actually your confusing your Papineau’s.
The riding of Papineau is in Montreal, which is 2 hours from Ottawa.
But I get your point.
@David Stewart
Your anti-conservative screeds tell me that Justin’s views have nothing to do with your vote. You’d vote for a ficus plant if it were leader of the Liberal party.