The progressive Conservative MP, who received thousands of dollars in childcare costs from his riding association, said he believed it was “common practice” in the party to charge donors for personal expenses.
Global News spoke with one of the eight MPPS involved in a cost scandal in which riding associations agreed to supplement their taxpayer-funded salaries in the form of MPP allowances.
Read more: 8 MPPs from the Ontario PC received a “supplement” from the party treasury
The MPP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Global News that they had learned about the option of talking to other progressive conservatives, who gave them specific instructions on how to obtain the funds.
“Just talk to the local riding association to see if that’s an option [whether] the people from the riding association felt comfortable doing (this), ”they told MPP.
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MPP believes that this is “something that is well known” within the PC group and said that they were told specifically what could be done with the constituency association.
“Essentially, if I was really hard on the cost of raising children you know, that was an option,” the former MPP said.
2:45 8 Progressive Conservatives in Ontario Receive Thousands of Dollars in Surcharges 8 Progressive Conservatives in Ontario Receive Thousands of Dollars in Surcharges
In the end, the politician discussed the costs with the association of his constituencies, provided receipts and reimbursed thousands of dollars for childcare fees after the riding members “voted in favor of these costs.”
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Other PC MPPs, including three who were cabinet ministers, received thousands of dollars in approved spending from their riding associations between 2018 and 2021 – paid by party donors and subsidized by taxpayers through Elections Ontario.
PC leader Doug Ford, who was forced to consider the issue for the second day in a row, said he was “not very happy” when he learned about the costs but defended his MPP.
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“I’m sure there are no rules violated,” Ford said during a halt to the Windsor campaign on Friday. “Their expenses were audited, however, they went through the Ontario election – audited and approved.”
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While Ford promised to “review the rules and change them”, other parties called on the MPP to return the funds they received from their driving associations – a total of $ 120,000.
“The NDP believes that computers do not need money and $ 120,000 should go to charities in Ontario,” the party said in a statement.
The NDP and the Liberals have promised to review the rules for financing the province’s elections if elected in June.
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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