It must be true since this is the Conservative Sun Media reporting this.The Conservative cabinet minister in charge of helping the world's poor spent more than $4,000 for a fill-in chauffeur while her regular driver was off for 11 days, Sun Media has learned.
Documents released through Access to Information show Quebec's Josee Verner, the minister of international development, awarded the contract to Maurice Cyr last March. The records obtained by NDP MP Pat Martin's office show the daily hours billed ranged from four to 16.5 for a total of 124, but chauffeurs often sit idle while ministers are between meetings, events or hospitality functions.
"It strikes me as an extraordinarily unnecessary expense, and one that I presume can be multiplied by 32 if other cabinet ministers are paying this kind of contract for replacements during vacations," Martin said. "Even Batman drives his own car. What is so important that they need a full-time, $30-an-hour chauffeur idling outside every restaurant they go to?"
Martin said limo services should be commissioned on an as-needed basis to trim costs for taxpayers. All ministers are eligible for full-time drivers who earn about $48,000 plus often-heavy overtime, and recently appointed secretaries of state also receive the perk.
"This seems like an unnecessary and unreasonable waste of money, especially in light of the Conservatives' stated objective to tighten their belts and run a lean, mean government," Martin said.
I wonder if Harper will comment on this? He used to bitch about the Liberals.......mmmmmm maybe this is the Liberals fault too? ;)
Read the rest here