Mr. Speaker, five months after taking office, the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans won the award for claiming the highest travel expenses of all federal ministers. This piece of news had already angered taxpayers, who expected the Liberal government to keep its promises and stop wasting taxpayers' money.
Well, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has done it again, spending over $200,000 on redecorating and refurnishing his headquarters in Ottawa.
How can we let a minister spend so much money on fancy furniture, when his own government is cutting billions of dollars from social programs?
The Liberal government is asking the middle class and the most disadvantaged to make sacrifices in the name of deficit reduction, but is unable to eliminate the advantages enjoyed by the lucky few who are squandering taxpayers' money.
By acquiring this furniture, the fisheries minister is taking taxpayers for a ride.