CTF applauds policy change after “excessive” town car expenses
Posted Feb 5, 2016 4:35 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Canadian Tax Payers Federation (CTF) is praising Alberta Health for directing staff to cut back on expensive town car services.
According to the federation, the Chair of Calgary South and Mental Health Review, Marilyn Smith, expensed $26,895.67 in one year on the chauffeured vehicles.
CTF’s Alberta director Paige MacPherson told 660 NEWS, getting Albertans to pay the bills was excessive.
“A return car trip from Calgary to Lethbridge cost taxpayers nearly $1,200. If she had expensed mileage at the generous government rates, it would have cost $175.”
She called this a victory for online expense disclosure.
“We would have probably never known that this was an issue if the expenses weren’t posted online,” she said. “A lot of times, there are a lot of these little things that really add up and can slip under the radar. It’s quite possible that Alberta Health really hadn’t even been alerted to this situation and they weren’t really informed about it.”
MacPherson added, Alberta Health officials were extremely proactive after the issue was brought to their attention, and has since changed the policy, directing staff to use rental vehicles when comfortable driving with passengers.
