On the yes side, this justifiable instinct is exacerbated by Canadians’ natural, how should we put this, parsimony regarding the lifestyles of important people. We don’t want our grandees to become too grand. You can see this in the case of the obviously needed renovations of the Prime Minister’s official residence, 24 Sussex Drive. Various recent prime ministers have been so reluctant to be seen spending tax dollars on improvements to their living quarters that what should be a marquee Canadian building is now basically a well-appointed firetrap. It sits empty because the current PM has sensibly taken up residence in another government-owned home.
That’s nuts. We have to stop demanding that our cabinet ministers book the middle seat in economy, or bed down at discount hotels. Ms. Philpott had to hire a car for two days of meetings that took her across southern Ontario; her error was giving the job to a Liberal Party volunteer who overcharged, instead of paying the going rate to another service.
But she is perfectly within her rights to expense access to a not particularly exclusive airport lounge that provides her and her cabinet documents a little more privacy than the boarding area at Gate 24C. This is a woman who handles one of the most important portfolios in the federal government, and yes, she is entitled to some sensible perks.
As for the photos, we’re glad to hear Ms. McKenna will look at ways of reducing that cost in the future. It is something her Conservative critics never did during their decade in power, but should have. An investigation by iPolitics.ca last year revealed that the Harper government spent $2.3-million on photographers to follow around Tory cabinet ministers between 2006 and 2015. The photographers recorded some 2,500 events in all. The Liberal opposition criticized them for it – and then picked up where they left off. Around it goes.
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