Canada’s only elected senator faced criticism last week after public government documents revealed he was the Senate’s biggest spender during the last fiscal year.
But Bert Brown, a Conservative senator from the Balzac area, defended his $331,000 spending of taxpayer money between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011. He said $180,000 was spent on travel expenses promoting a bill on creating Senate reform in the country.
The other $151,000 was spent on research assistance, staff and other expenses, he said.
“I travelled to all of the provinces a year ago and talked to all the premiers about the benefits of electing senators,” said Brown, who was elected in 2004 to be a senator-in-waiting and then appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2007.
“Travelling across 10 provinces and three territories – you run up some bills. But as far as saying I’m the biggest spender in the Senate; not by a long shot.”
Brown, who is on a six-year term, said Canada’s senators spent $7.2 million on travel and $13.2 million on research, staff and other expenses.
Liberal Nick Sibbeston of the Northwest Territories was the second-highest spending senator at $321,000, while Judith Seidman, a Conservative from Quebec, was the lowest at $81,000.
Brown keeps an office in Calgary and one in Ottawa, but said while other senators are spending money on unnecessary items, his usage of taxpayer dollars is strictly in the public’s interest.
“We can actually have Senate reform by involving the provinces and answering the over 70 per cent of Canadians who want to see the senate elected and reformed,” Brown said.
“We are pleased to fill in the blanks of editorial opinion and opinion of reporters who have not researched the above.”
Wild Rose MP Blake Richards believes Brown’s stance on senate reform has the potential to make a real impact.
“I think the idea of having a democratically chosen Senate is the right thing to do,” Richards said.
“Whether it becomes a provincial matter, or a regional matter, the time for Senate reform has arrived and I applaud Senator Brown for his efforts.”
Brown released a 700-word document, detailing his three-step process for democratic Senate reform, to the public on Nov. 15. It is printed in its entirety on page 9.
