Keeping tabs on MPs' expenses
Britain's members of Parliament are being publicly roasted these days for their excessive spending habits.
The Daily Telegraph obtained thousands of pages of unpublished expense claims showing politicians charged hundreds of thousands of dollars for everything from houses, to travel, to chandeliers, to pornography.
Several MPs have quit their cabinet posts in light of the scandal while others have apologized and pledged to return more than $224,000.
Canadians might be wondering whether such a scandal could happen in this country.
Unlike Britain, Canada has checks in place that would make it difficult for MPs to file expenses unnoticed. In Canada, it's mandatory for all MPs, commissioners and government officials to publish their travel and hospitality expenses. Chiefs of staff, press secretaries and policy advisors are also bound by the same rules.
Here's where to find out more about Canadian officials' expenses:
- Expense reports for every government department.
- A list of salaries and allowances for all MPs.
- MPs annual expense claims (for the most current year available, 2007-2008).