N.S. taxpayers paid twice for MLA's office furniture

Nova Scotia taxpayers paid twice for office furniture bought by New Democrat MLA Ramona Jennex when she won the riding of Kings South last summer.

Jennex spent $4,800 to buy all of her constituency office furniture from outgoing area Tory Mark Parent, who used his MLA expense account to buy it in the first place.

Jennex said she bought printers, a fax machine, tables and chairs for her New Minas office from Parent after he lost his seat in neighbouring Kings North last summer.

"Mark Parent called me and asked if I was interested," she said Thursday.

Jennex said she paid for the furniture, submitted the claim to the Nova Scotia Speaker's office and was reimbursed by taxpayers.

Parent said he is not the first MLA to sell office furniture, pointing out it was allowed under the rules and Jennex got a good deal.

The money is in his old MLA bank account, Parent said, and he will consult with the Speaker's office about what to do with it.

In September, Premier Darrell Dexter said his government would do away with MLAs ability to sell their office furniture and equipment and keep the proceeds, calling it an unreasonable perk.

Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, another former Progressive Conservative MLA, said Thursday that she is returning the digital cameras, desks, computers, printers and generator that she bought between 2006 and 2009.

The former Lunenburg MLA spent $17,000 on the equipment.

"All items were purchased under the rules and approved by the Speaker's office," Bolivar Getson said in a statement Thursday. "I want to give all the items over to government surplus, as soon as possible."

Biggest spender

Former Tory MLA Len Goucher was still not answering questions about his purchases on Thursday. He spent the most of any MLA whose expenses were examined by the auditor general — $38,694 for office equipment and electronic technology.

Goucher bought 11 computers and 12 printers with public funds between July 2006 and June 2009.

 "There are still some things I am checking with the Speaker's office. I have an explanation; I will make a statement later," he said.

Frugal MLA

New Democrat MLA Bill Estabrooks racked up the lowest tab in expense claims over the three-year period — just $2,325.

He said he bought his constituency assistant's desk and chair from office liquidators when he set up his office 12 years ago.

The computer cost around $750, Estabrooks said.

"It's very important because you have to have a top-line computer," he said.

Estabrooks said he spent $180 for his chair, the shelf was second-hand and the television set belongs to his daughter.

"There's no correlation between stuff and electoral success. You know, we have two phones, a fax machine, a computer that works well, some of those other things just get in the way," he said.

Estabrooks said his fellow MLAs who spent thousands on computers and televisions should have known better.

"Well, you know, stupidity isn't a word I use very often as a school teacher. But let me tell you, there have been some stupid, irresponsible decisions made by some men and women who should know better and I'll leave it at that," he said.

Estabrooks, a die-hard Boston Bruins fan, said the only thing he couldn't live without in his office is the signed photo of Bobby Orr.

"Politics can take care of itself, but that photo will live forever with me," he said.