The NDP have been found guilty twice of abusing public money by improperly using their House of Commons privileges for unauthorized, partisan reasons. The first amount, approximately $2.7 million, is related to the illegal use of "satellite offices." The NDP used public funds to hire MP's assistants, but those staff members actually ended up performing partisan work as they were strategically placed across Canada, in many locations where the NDP had no MPs to support.
It was also found out that they misused $1.3 million for "illegal mailings."
The second amount, approximately $1.3 million, is for illegal mailings. All MPs are given "franking privileges" which allow them to communicate with Canadians via mail on matters of national importance in the performance of their duties as MPs. The NDP used their House of Commons resources to mail Canadians requests to donate and volunteer for the New Democrats, and directed them to their party's website. Elections Canada has already launched an investigation into these illegal mailings, since there is the potential of receiving an unfair election advantage by breaking the rules.Both instances were determined by the Board of Internal Economy,a committee which is made of members of all parties.
The all-party Board of Internal Economy, backed by non-partisan House of Commons staff, found that the cost for these two illegal operations is a staggering $4 million. The NDP and leader Thomas Mulcair do not dispute that they committed either of these acts, but they claim that they were unfairly judged by a "kangaroo court" that overruled the House of Commons' administrative staff approval of those offices and mailings. (The non-partisan Clerk of the House of Commons denies that her staff ever gave such approval.)They need to pay that money back. Mulcair calls for the voters of Canada to fire PM Harper for
calling Mike Duffy to pay back the $90,00 that he owed for claiming housing expenses in which did not involve one dime of taxpayers money. It was Nigel Wright who used his own money to help Duffy pay his dues.
Well maybe voters should fire Mulcair and his crew for refusing to pay back the millions of taxpayers dollars they misused. What a hypocrite!
By the way it's Mulcair and the NDP and the misuse of taxpayers dollars who the corrupt Media Party should be focused on like a laser instead of Duffy, Wright and PM Harper.
