CALGARY, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is commending Alberta Health for directing its staff to cut back on expensive town car services after the CTF raised questions about unusual expenses by an Alberta Health panel chair.

According to documents found by the CTF on the government’s expense disclosure website, Calgary and South Mental Health Review Panel Chair Marilyn Smith expensed $26,895.67 in one year on town cars to transport herself and other panel members from Calgary to hearings in Canmore, Claresholm, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.

“Spending nearly $27,000 on town cars in one year is simply not justifiable when taxpayers are footing the bill,” said CTF Alberta Director Paige MacPherson. “We’re not talking about a voyage across the world here – these short trips could easily be driven by someone on the panel. Is a chauffeur really necessary?”

The distances between Calgary and these locations are all within one hour and 10 minutes to two hours and 45 minutes. Busses and shuttles are also available from Calgary to each of these locations.

Smith’s town car use cost taxpayers over $1,000 per trip for 13 of her 27 town car rides. On March 4, 2015, Smith’s return town car trip from Calgary to Lethbridge cost taxpayers $1,199.61. Her return trip from Calgary to Medicine Hat on November 19, 2014 cost $1,518.30. The least expensive town car trip was from Calgary to Canmore and back, costing $406.64.

When the CTF brought these outstanding expenses to the attention of Alberta Health, a spokesperson responded saying that they have directed their staff to use less expensive modes of transportation when possible.

“These are fair questions,” wrote Alberta Health Press Secretary Timothy Wilson. “While the use of a town car is less expensive than if the individuals drove or rented their own vehicles, we have directed our program staff who support these professionals to ask them to use rental vehicles when there is someone comfortable driving with passengers.”

At the government rate of 50.5 cents per kilometre, mileage for a return trip from Calgary to Lethbridge would cost $174.97.

“We are happy to hear that Alberta Health is taking steps to find cost savings for taxpayers,” said MacPherson. “This positive result shows the importance of governments posting expenses online. Otherwise, we may never have noticed.”

Taxpayer-funded expenses from Alberta government officials and staff are posted online at: http://www.alberta.ca/travelandexpensedisclosure.cfm 

The CTF also sponsors an auto-tweet twitter account of these expenses at: https://twitter.com/AlbertaExpenses

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For more information:

Alberta Director Paige MacPherson
office: 403-475-6207, cell: 403-478-7184, email: [email protected]