Canada PoliticsSenator Pamela Wallin’s audit cost taxpayers almost $127k
Senator Pamela Wallin has agreed to repay all the money that auditors say she inappropriately claimed.
Unfortunately, her maleficence is still going to cost taxpayers a lot of money.
According to the Globe and Mail, the bill for the audit — which took Deloitte six months to complete — is pegged at a whopping $126,998.
Financial figures published by Senate Administration indicate Ms. Wallin’s audit has been the most expensive of four undertaken so far, and roughly tripled in size from its original estimate. The original estimated cost was $43,408, which rose by $25,990 before rising another $57,600 this quarter.
The audit into the expenses of Senators Mac Harb, Mike Duffy and Patrick Brazeau cost less – an estimated $101,459.82 in the most recent financial filings,
The Senate's Quarterly Report on contracts can be seen here.
[ Related: Should the town of Wadena remove their 'Home of Pamela Wallin' sign? ]
On Tuesday, the Senate released the audit into Wallin's expenses. The accountants found that the former Conservative, now independent, senator inappropriately claimed $121,348 in travel perks. The Senate finance committee has ordered Wallin to repay the money and have forwarded the matter to the RCMP.
And therein lies the other rub — it's still going to cost us more.
How much will a RCMP review cost? Moreover, what will be the total bill of the investigations into the breach of trust allegations against Senators Mike Duffy, Mac Harb and Patrick Brazeau?
In a telephone interview with Yahoo! Canada News, Lucy Shorey, media relations officer
for the RCMP National Division, wouldn't say how many officers or what resources were dedicated to those investigations.
[ Related: Pamela Wallin audit spurs debate about what is ‘Senate business’ ]
Finally, if any or all of the senators are charged with a crime, there's going to be court costs.
Last week, lawyer David Debenham told Yahoo! that the senators' trials would likely be similar in length to the trial of former Ottawa mayor Larry O'Brian who was accused of influence peddling in 2009. His trial included 16 days of testimony and cost taxpayers between $200,000 and $300,000.
Note to taxpayers: Let's keep our calculators out — it looks like we're going to need them.
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