Booze, art and hockey tickets cited in N.L. audit

Newfoundland and Labrador politicians claimed alcohol, artwork, luxury goods and season passes for hockey games through their expense allowances, a wide-ranging audit revealed Friday.

Provincial Auditor General John Noseworthy found $2.2 million of what he deemed "inappropriate expenditures" in a review of how tax-free constituency allowances were claimed between the 1989 and 2005 fiscal years.

"Most members did not abuse the system," Noseworthy wrote in his report, which looked at the claims of 115 politicians.

However, Noseworthy whose 2006 reports led to criminal charges and a judicial review of legislative spending identified numerous instances of spending that went beyond ordinary rules.

Almost all politicians, for instance, were found to have used their allowances to make donations to community, sports, school and charitable groups.

The report provides numerous examples of other types of questionable spending.

Nine politicians from three parties, for instance, were found to have made claims of personal items that included artwork, travel costs, electronics, jewelry and more.

Paul Dicks, a former Liberal finance and justice minister, was found to have claimed $59,753 in artwork during the 1998 and 2000 fiscal years. Dicks also claimed a Cartier pen, books and jewelry.

Three politicians former Tory MHA Ed Byrne, retiring Liberal Oliver Langdon and former PC finance minister Loyola Sullivan each claimed season tickets for theSt. John's Maple Leafs hockey team, among other items. Sullivan, a fiscal hawk as finance minister who resigned last December, bought Leafs passes for five consecutive years.

Dicks was among the 57 politicians found to have claimed a total of $118,806 inalcohol purchases that were not part of meals. Dicks claimed $34,145 in alcohol, far more than most others. George Sweeney, a Liberal MHA who is not running in the upcoming election, had the next highest claim, at $10,325.

Dicks was also identified as having claimed $23,562 over eight fiscal years "on rent to a company in which [he] had an ownership interest." Liberal incumbents Kelvin Parsons and Eddie Joyce were named for having made similar claims.

Alsolisted as having made inappropriate personal claims were:

• Liberal Wally Andersen, who resigned his Labrador seat earlier this month, and who claimed $247 for sunglasses, $3,195 for artwork and $13,255 for airfare for his spouse and his children.
• Former New Democrat MHA Randy Collins, who was found to have claimed $2,741 for snow clearing for his home, among other expenses.
• Retiring Liberal MHA Judy Foote, who will be the federal Liberal candidate in Random-Burin-St. George's, and who claimed $1,800 in artwork and $2,516 in flowers and a gift.
• Former Liberal cabinet minister Walter Noel, whoclaimed for various objects, including ladies clothes, luggage, a $288 clock radio, "high end perfumes," cookware, tools, CDs and a hotel room in England.
• Kevin Aylward, another former Liberal cabinet minister, whoclaimed $618 for tickets to a Juno Awards ceremony, as well as $4,419 in airfare for his children.

Byrne, Collins, Andersen and former Liberal cabinet minister Jim Walsh all facefraud-related charges laid this summer following a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary investigation launchedafter Noseworthy's 2006 reports on excessive payments of constituency allowances.

The four and retiring LiberalMHA Percy Barrett were found to have received about $1.6 million more in total than they were entitled to in constituency allowances.

The RNC said it had insufficient grounds to lay a charge againstBarrett.

The RNC has also chargedBill Murray, the suspended civil servant who directed the legislature's finances.

Noseworthy's reports last yearfound that about $2.6 million was paid in untendered contracts for things like fridge magnets, lapel pins and gold rings.

'This had to be done,' Williams says

Speaking with reporters on Friday afternoon, Premier Danny Williams said the public knowing what had been disclosed last year should not be surprised by the latest findings.

He said reforms his government made to political spending, including a new oversight process and stricter controls on spending, should stop abuse from happening in the future.

"From my own personal perspective, you know, we've started this process, we've now completed this process, and we've cleaned it up. And I'm pleased with that," Williams said.

"I'm unhappy for anybody who was caught up in the outcome. But, having said that, this had to be done."

Williams said whilethe names of many politicians appear in Noseworthy's report, the biggest problems are confined to a select few politicians.

Liberal leader Gerry Reid said he was surprised by the type of items that MHAs charged over the years to taxpayers.

He said he is concerned about how it may affect the upcoming election campaign.

"It could make voters more apathetic," Reid said.

"With regard to having an impact on one party versus another, I don't think that it would, because there's guilt to be spread around by all of us."

Reid said he is glad the report was released before the election, so voters can see how their money was spent.

Election callcoming Monday

Noseworthy's latest report comes just days before the official launch of an election campaign. Williams confirmed Friday he will ask Lt.-Gov. Ed Roberts on Monday to dissolve the legislature.

The auditscame after the Progressive Conservative-dominated legislature allowed the auditor general to scrutinize spending at the legislature after several years of having been forbidden.

After releasing those reports, Noseworthy was directed by the provincial cabinet to look at how politicians have used their constituency allowances over the years, starting in 1989, when the constituency allowance system was created.

In the wake of Noseworthy's first reports, Williams appointed Derek Green, chief justice of the Newfoundland Supreme Court's trials division, to recommend changes in how the legislature runs its business.

Green's report identified a host of problems, including poor training, inadequate oversight and deficient procedures.