Senator Joseph Day disputes AG's expenses challenge
Saint John senator cited for $19K in questionable claims intends to go through arbitration process
Senator Joseph Day disputes Auditor General Mike Ferguson's interpretation of guidelines for payment of travel expenses by senators and intends to seek an answer through arbitration.
The auditor general in his Tuesday report pointed to $19,634 in questionable claims by the senator for Saint John and Kennebecasis, including $12,812 for four trips that were "primarily in the corporate interest" of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, for which Day is a board member.
"I wholeheartedly disagree with [Ferguson's] interpretation of my role as a senator," said Day in a statement.
"I believe it is important that parliamentarians should support and encourage development of Canadian youth and see such activities as a crucial part of my parliamentary functions," stated Day.
Ferguson also questioned Day's claim of $2,849 for an April 2011 trip to Toronto where he attended a political party event and a meeting involved the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
Day said he had to attend a military function at Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont., on Senate business and the only way to get to Kingston by air is to fly through Toronto.
"I stopped overnight in Toronto to meet with Duke of Edinburgh Award director and in my free time I dropped into a public political event," stated Day.
"The auditor general is questioning this entire travel claim because I dropped in to this political event on my own time."
Day said he spent his personal funds on the trips being questioned and was reimbursed those amounts by Senate finance officials after providing them with receipts and an explanation to warrant reimbursement.
If Senate finance guidelines need to be clarified, strengthened or rewritten, Day said he would support that effort.
"But any such changes should be on a 'go-forward' basis," he said.
The auditor general could provide guidance in that regard.
The application of the auditor general's retroactive reinterpretation of the guidelines is fundamentally wrong.- Senator Joseph Day
"The application of the auditor general's retroactive reinterpretation of the guidelines is fundamentally wrong," he said.
Day was one of four New Brunswick senators among the 30 whose expenses where questioned in the auditor general's report.
Former Senate speaker Noel Kinsella is cited for claiming $5,663 to attend a funeral that the audit found was a personal expense and not a Senate expense.
Kinsella said Senate rules concerning a funeral were followed and approved by Senate administration.
Senator Sandra Lovelace Nicholas is cited for claiming $75,227 in questionable travel expenses.
Lovelace responded it was often easier for her to meet with First Nations groups and others in Fredericton rather than at her home in Tobique First Nation.
Retired senator Rose-Marie Losier-Cool was challenged over $110,051 and is one of nine senators whose claims are being forwarded to the RCMP for investigation.
Losier-Cool claimed living and travel expenses for more than $110,000 after claiming Moncton to be her primary residence, but only spending 16 days in the city over the two-year period covered by the audit.