Alison Redford and the Big $31 Whopper ..... Jeezus it must have weighed a couple kilograms!

Canadian Taxpayers Federation puts Alison Redford at top of 'Naughty List' over $900 hotel stay

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has put Alberta Premier Alison Redford at the top of its provincial government "naughty" list for staying at a Washington hotel that charged $876 a night. (Canadian Press)

EDMONTON - The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has put Alberta Premier Alison Redford at the top of its provincial government “naughty” list for staying in a Washington hotel that charged $876 a night.

The federation says Redford’s posted expense claims also show she charged taxpayers for $22 coffees and a $31 hamburger while in the U.S. capital.

The CTF later said on its website that Redford's office had clarified that the $22 claimed for coffees was for pots of coffee.

Other Redford expenses in 2013 included an almost $8,000 airfare to New Brunswick and a $6,000 flight to Chicago.

The taxpayers group also singled out Thomas Lukaszuk (loo-KAH’-zuhk), who was Deputy Premier and Advanced Education Minister until a recent cabinet shuffle.

It points out he spent more than $9,000 on a trip to Europe and claimed 17 flights between Edmonton and Calgary.

Justice Minister Jonathan Denis heads the “nice” list for _ quote _ “having the most boring expense claim two years’ running.”

Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk makes the naughty list for being "... a ceaseless traveller, he doesn't like to stay at home and since he has to be deprived of staying at home, nothing but the very best hotel rooms and room service for Thomas Lukaszuk. You'll have a hard time looking through his expenses and finding him staying at a hotel room for less than $500 a night. I think between Dave Hancock and Thomas Lukaszuk, the government of Alberta is providing an unofficial subsidy to the Pallister Hotel in Calgary." The Calgary Sun

Human Services Minister Dave Hancock makes the naughty list:

"Charging taxpayers for his law society membership year after year. In two years alone, he dinged taxpayers $4,530 so he could remain a full active member. He's a big fan of staying at the Pallister in Calgary ($600 a night; also $600 a night at the Banff Springs Hotel). He doesn't seem to want to settle for much less than that. For these reasons he makes the naughty list very easily,"Derek Fildebrandt at the Canadian Taxypayers Federation office in Calgary told The Calgary Sun.

Don't let the picture fool you. Premier Alison Redford makes the naughty list this year for "her handling of the Olympic fiasco racking up to $23,000 in personal expenses during her Olympic junket. The Calgary Sun

Finance Minister Doug Horner "... is breaking the government's promise to return the budget to balance. Also, he refused to provide his expenses to me. Everyone else complied to (FOIP) requests except for him. That's a big lump of coal. He gets a very big lump of coal, " Derek Fildebrandtat the Canadian Taxpayers Federation office in Calgary told The Calgary Sun.

Tourist Minister Christine Cusanell "... gets two lumps of coal in her stocking this year. She was forced to pay $10,400 in inappropriate expenses (like using her government card to fly her mom and daughter to the Olympics. These have not only crossed the moral line, they have crossed the legal line. She also charged taxpayers through her ministerial budget for her living expenses, all the while she was pocketing her MLA living allowances. That' not good at all. But, Santa does like apologies; and she has apologized, unlike every other member of the cabinet for inappropriate expenses," Derek Fildebrandt at the Canadian Federation office in Calgary told us. The Calgary Sun