NDP REALITY CHECK: The cost of self-serving Senate leadership

Initial reports indicate that key senate leaders are among the thirty senators found to have filed ineligible expenses by the Auditor General in an audit report to be released next week.

Conservative Senate Speaker Leo Housakos – appointed by the Prime Minister less than a month ago – Leader of the Government Claude Carignan, and Leader of the Opposition Liberals James Cowan have also put themselves in charge of setting up an appeals process – and giving a way for senators like themselves to dispute the Auditor General’s findings of ineligible expense claims.

How much are Canadian taxpayers spending on these three self-serving Senate over-spenders? $13,363,099.95, and that doesn’t even include expenses:

Senator Leo Housakos, Speaker of the Senate, Conservative appointee: Appointed by Stephen Harper on 2009-01-08; anticipated retirement 2043-01-10. Total cost to Taxpayers = $6,264,266.30 Senator Claude Carignan, Leader of the Government in the Senate, Conservative appointee: Appointed by Stephen Harper on 2009-08-27; anticipated Retirement 2039-12-04. Total cost to Taxpayers = $5,367,125.23 Senator James Cowan Leader of Opposition in the Senate, Liberal appointee: Appointed by Paul Martin on 2005-03-24; anticipated Retirement 2017-01-22. Total cost to Taxpayers = $1,731,708.42

Unelected, unaccountable, under investigation and costing taxpayers millions.

Canadians deserve better.