Common Sense Questions, Part 1

I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but c’mon. They’re making it necessary.

When the comprehensive list of MLAs expense claims was released this past Wednesday, I read through every last extravagant detail with such incredulity and disbelief that I could barely process it all. I spent many hours trying to figure out how to put my thoughts into words in a way that would succinctly address the new developments and still make my point.

I failed. There is such a hornet’s nest of backpedalling and blatant gall at the heart of this situation that a regular person like me, always a voter and news-watcher more so than writer-of-things-political, is too blinded by the abuses of the system to have any regard for the preposterously unsound rules that the people in government are using to justify their actions. “The Speaker’s office approved it,” is not enough to make it all go away, at least not for me.

So, in the wake of this scandal, I’m going to ask a few questions. I understand the answers might not ever come, but I need to put them, the reasons for asking them, and a few general statements, out into the universe. As a citizen, not a writer.

First, when an MLA leaves office, where does their furniture and office equipment go? To give an example of what I’m talking about, I’ll use Judy Streatch. She was elected in 2005 to fill a vacant seat and then again in the June 2006 provincial election. In January of 2007, she claimed approximately $3000 for a desk, a loveseat, and a chair, not to mention another $6400 in furnishings before she was defeated in 2009. So my question is – what was she using for furniture in the office from 2005 until she bought all the new stuff? Did it disappear? And if so, where did it go? Do MLAs completely refurnish offices after every election? Are there no inventory procedures?

The reason I ask is because the report indicates the MLAs have free reign over how they design their office space. There exist claims for furniture that I couldn’t fathom, as someone who has not only furnished a home, but who has also equipped an office from scratch. Is there no cap on what they can spend on furniture and décor?
Because Karen Casey thought a $300 fireplace might look nice in her office, does that mean she can run to out and buy one? If she thinks a marble credenza would be nice, does she get to bill us for that, too?

Did John MacDonell get a $900 vacuum because it has magical powers? I’ve had the same $100 vacuum for the better part of eight years and it does the job. What is it about the floors in his office that renders a standard vacuum useless? Or did he buy it simply because he had the opportunity?

After Clarrie MacKinnon is gone from office, what will happen to the six monogrammed armchairs he purchased for over $2000? Do they go home with him, or are they kept in storage until someone else with the initials “CM” is elected?

I don’t want to harp all day on furniture, but give me a break. A comfortable chair, a desk, filing cabinets – those are all reasonable political office expenses. Fireplaces, $900 vacuums, and monogrammed armchairs are not, in my opinion. Not reasonable for people preaching to Nova Scotians about how times are so tough.

Next, what is this business with the generators? Richard Hurlburt resigned after reports of his having one installed at his house were criticized (don’t get me started), but what about the other two? These are big ticket items, not a box of pens. In one example, Carolyn Bolivar-Getson said she was the minister in charge of emergency management and was setting an example at her constituency office. That’s one expensive example.

“We need to realize that you do need equipment to run a constituency (office),” she says. I completely agree, but can the ministers (who, you have to remember, are mere regular Joes before they decide to put their hat in the political ring and attach “The Honorable” to the front of their names) just decide willy-nilly what’s necessary? Because I don’t know about you, but I have, and surely could again, effectively run an office without a big screen plasma television, a generator, an iPod, and plenty of the other ridiculous purchases listed on the report. Someone needs to step in, set and enforce strict guidelines as to what is necessary equipment and what is excessive, let’s-load-up-while-we-can shopping on my tax dime. It should not be the MLAs distinction to make.

I have plenty more questions for next week.