Auditor general cites lack of oversight for Senate spending mess

Canada Fraud

Former senator Rod Zimmer, left, in an engagement photo with Maygan Sensenberger, is among nine current and former senators facing RCMP investigation over their expenses. (Facebook)

A fishing trip, contracts for professional services and one senator’s own 50th wedding anniversary celebration are some of the ineligible expenses filed under the guise of parliamentary business, Auditor General Michael Ferguson found in his comprehensive two-year review of Senate spending released today.

This is the first full look at Canadian’s auditor general’s report after leaks last week revealed 30 current and former senators were flagged for questionable spending claims totalling nearly $1 million. Nine of those cases, including those of two sitting senators, have been sent to the RCMP for possible investigation.

During a press conference to discuss his findings, Ferguson said he was “struck by the overall lack of transparency and accountability” exercised both by the institution as a whole and by some individual senators.

“A number of senators simply felt they didn’t have to account for, or they didn’t have to be transparent, with their spending,” Ferguson said, adding it wasn’t just about not making information available but seemed to be a “strongly-held part of the culture.”

The audit found “a lack of independent oversight,” with senators governed according to rules they have designed themselves. The report said senators can choose not to enforce those rules and can keep information from being disclosed to the public.

“Transformational change” is required to address the weakness and problems the audit uncovered, the report said. “Simply changing or adding to the existing rules will not be enough.”

The audit was launched after questions arose about living expenses claimed by Brazeau, Duffy and Mac Harb, and Wallin’s travel expenses, in late 2012 and early 2013. Harb resigned and the other three were suspended as the RCMP investigated their expenses. All have been charged except Wallin.

-Senate hesitant to adopt all recommendations

Former senator Rod Zimmer, left, in an engagement photo with Maygan Sensenberger, is among nine current and former senators facing RCMP investigation over their expenses. (Facebook)
Former senator Rod Zimmer, left, in an engagement photo with Maygan Sensenberger, is among nine current and former senators facing RCMP investigation over their expenses. (Facebook)

Senate Speaker Leo Housakos spoke with reporters in the Senate foyer shortly after the release of Ferguson’s report, followed by Government Leader Claude Carignan and Senate Liberal Leader James Cowan.

Housakos said the Senate embraces “wholeheartedly” the fundamental principle of accountability within the auditor general’s report and will look at all the recommendations and institute them “step-by-step going forward.” He said the upper chamber has already begun instituting some of them.

But he did not go so far as to say that the Senate will accept the recommendations as written.

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When it comes to an independent oversight mechanism, for example, Housakos referred to the expense claims arbitration process, headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ian Binnie.

“There will be more disclosure, more oversight and better controls,” Housakos said.

Binnie was appointed by Housakos last month to act as an arbiter for disputes arising out of the auditor general’s findings and future questions over senators’ spending.

For his part, the auditor general said the appointment of an independent arbiter was “a step in the right direction,” but added to ensure adequate oversight, a body with more powers and more responsibilities is needed.

80,000 claims investigated

Auditing the Senate doesn’t come cheap. It cost taxpayers $23.5 million for Ferguson and his team to go through the files of individual senators with a fine-toothed comb, ultimately yielding only about $1 million in questionable expenses.

Ferguson said he isn’t happy to have spent that much money and resources, but he argued the value goes beyond a straight dollar-to-dollar comparison. Look at the results, he said, which will include tightening up of senators’ expenses and an overall change in behaviour.

The comprehensive audit examined more than 80,000 expense claims of 116 current and former senators between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2013. Those expenses, totalling $45 million, include travel and living expenses and contracts.

Read full story here: Auditor general cites lack of oversight for Senate spending mess

Culled from www.cbc.ca

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