Monday, May 3, 2010

MPs Expenses Need To Be Looked At

You have to wonder why after a whole year of Auditor General Sheila Fraser wanting to look at the MPs expense accounts, they won't budge. Why is that? Could they have something to hide?  Sure doesn't look even if everything is on the up and up. 

You would also think in the aftermath of the scandal that broke across the pond last year involving UK MPs expenses, our MPs would want to be open and transparent and ease the  taxpayers that our money is being spent appropriately.   It's the taxpayers money after all not the MP's. 

This is one issue they seem to be all united on.  Both Minister Nicholson and Mr. Z thinks there's no need to  make expenses public. Why not?  I am really puzzled.  If there's nothing to hide, let Sheila Fraser take a look.  I don't care how they slice it.  How they can justify not releasing the way they spend that money.  It looks bad, really bad.  We taxpayers have the right to know. 

MPs. open those books.  Allow the AG to take a look. CPC MPs, you can be leaders here, what's hindering thee? Opposition MPs, you want all the documents released about the detainee issue, well release your expense documents.  Don't be hypocrites. What's so secret you won't release them? Media, do your job here and hound those MPs like you're hounding for the government to release sensitive information on the Afghan documents and the Rahim/Guergis affair.  This is about taxpayer funds!

This is not like the Afghan detainee issue. There is no national security at risk here.  The only security at risk here is MPs jobs, that's all.   The longer you MPs hold out, the more suspicious and cynical the public will be.  If those expenses are not revealed and  looked at, there will always be questions.

Then they wonder why the public is turned off politics and voter turn out is low.  This is the kind of thing that turns people off along with all the faux scandal outrage that the opposition and the media try and stir up. Go figure!