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Satellite offices dispute: House set to deny NDP expense claims

On Thursday, House of Commons officials will begin rejecting claims from NDP MPs who are accused of using public money to pay for so-called satellite offices across the country.

Rejections start Thursday, unless MPs repay $2.7 million in disputed costs

The Canadian Press ·
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said earlier this spring that New Democrats were being targeted because they're riding high in the polls. Nevertheless, the Commons board of internal economy says his MPs must repay $2.7 million for improper satellite office expenses. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)

New Democrat MPs who are on the hook for $2.7 million for allegedly using parliamentary resources for partisan purposes now face the prospect of having their expense claims denied by the House of Commons.

A spokeswoman for Conservative whip John Duncan says House of Commons officials will begin rejecting claims from NDP MPs who are accused of using public money to pay for so-called satellite offices across the country.

Those rejections are supposed to start Thursday, unless the MPs repay the $2.7 million the multi-party board of internal economy says they owe the public purse.

The MPs are accused of using public money from their office budgets to pool funds in order to pay for create the outreach offices.

The NDP has strenuously denied that its MPs did anything wrong, saying they followed House of Commons spending rules when the offices were opened.

The party is challenging the board's finding in Federal Court, calling the decision a politically motivated attack by the Conservatives and Liberals made behind closed doors in a "kangaroo court."

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