Tables turned as Tories questioned on Harper-era staff’s moving expenses

[The Privy Council Office released figures Friday that show ex-prime minister Stephen Harper’s office spent almost $325,000 on moving expenses from 2006 to 2015. CP]

There is a saying about glass houses and throwing stones.

After days of dogging the Liberal government over $200,000 in moving expenses approved for two top staff members in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office, the Conservatives are being called onto the carpet for their own staff spending.

The Privy Council Office released figures Friday that show former prime minister Stephen Harper’s office spent almost $325,000 on moving expenses from 2006 to 2015, including $93,000 for one senior staff member. That figure was spread over three years.

It was a reprieve of sorts for the Liberals, who have been on the defensive over $207,000 in moving expenses approved for Trudeau’s chief of staff, Katie Telford, and his principal secretary, Gerald Butts. Overall, the Trudeau government has spent $1.1 million on relocation expenses for political staff since taking office.

“With so many Canadians struggling for work, how can the prime minister possibly justify these incredible payouts?” interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose asked in question period this week.

It’s the latest and probably the most damaging in a series of spending questions raised by the Opposition Conservatives, as they try to paint the Trudeau Liberals as poor guardians of the public purse.

Health Minister Jane Philpott apologized last month and repaid a $3,700 limo service bill. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna was grilled over a $6,000 bill for photos of the minister at the Paris climate change summit.

READ MORE: Is $127K to relocate a Liberal staffer too much for the public purse?

This week Trudeau and his government defended and deflected. He stood by the policies, which he said were revised under the previous Conservative government, similar to policies in place for decades.

[Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his chief of staff Katie Telford, left, laugh at Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s joke at the 2016 Liberal convention in Winnipeg on May 28, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods]

And after several days of defending and deflecting, Butts and Telford announced via Facebook late Thursday night that they would repay a significant portion of the expenses for which they’ve already been reimbursed.

“As this process relates to us, we were eligible to be reimbursed for a bunch of costs that we don’t feel comfortable about. While the rules were clear and we followed them, we both know that’s not always enough,” the joint statement says.

“In the interests of living the government’s and Team Trudeau’s values of transparency and accountability, we are releasing a breakdown of both our families’ eligible expenses, refusing or refunding payment for a significant portion of them, and taking full responsibility for the whole series of events that led to this point.”

In Telford’s case, approved expenses were: moving logistics, $10,735.50; real estate commission, fees and employer taxes, $44,149.40; personalized cash payout and incidentals, $23,373.71; administration fees, $1,577.94; and travel, $546.00.

In Butts’ case: moving logistics, $14,636.39; real estate commission, fees and employer taxes, $47,103.56; personalized cash payout and incidentals, $20,799.10; land transfer tax, legal fees and insurance, $25,141.31; temporary lodging, $18,247.60; administration fees: $468.60; and travel, $273.00.

“When we reviewed these costs, we decided that the amount called ‘personalized cash payout’ which is for miscellaneous moving expenses is unreasonable, and we will both be reimbursing that amount,” the statement says.

“The principle we took to these decisions is that we should only be reimbursed the actual cost we paid third parties to make the move happen.”

In Butts’ case, the land transfer tax will also be repaid, it says, bringing the total to be repaid to more than $41,000.

Nelson Wiseman, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto, says the moving expenses at issue are “pennies” in terms of government spending but it’s an issue that resonates with the public.

“It feeds into a lot of people’s perceptions about government,” Wiseman says.

“People relate to this kind of stuff. How many people make $100,000 a year?”

As far as the Harper-era expenses, Harper is gone, Wiseman says. But the whole exchange has been damaging to Trudeau, who has promised transparency and accountability from his government.

“They’re more damaging than spending a billion dollars to fix a submarine and the fix doesn’t work,” Wiseman says. “Nobody understands a billion dollars but everybody understands $200,000 for two people.”