WINDSOR JUNCTION: The local NDP MLA is among those who were named in a Nova Scotia Auditor General report on MLA spending. However, Percy Paris feels he’s being unfairly painted with the same brush as other MLAs who had excessive spending.
Jacques Lapointe’s 142-page report released Feb. 3, didn’t name names, however many who were in the report slamming the MLA expense system came forward on their own. On Feb. 8, Premier Darrell Dexter ordered the Speaker’s Office to release the full list of questionable expense claims.
Paris, the representative for Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank, doesn’t discount the report’s findings.
“I think without a doubt that there have been some purchases that some MLAs have made that were excessive,” Paris said. “What’s unfair about this is, like some things in life, is when we all get painted with the same brush.”
Paris’ expenses pale in comparison to those racked up by former Yarmouth Conservative MLA Richard Hurlburt, Len Goucher, the former Conservative representative for Bedford-Birch Cove and Hants East NDP MLA John MacDonell, who all were flagged with excessive expenses. In the day following news that among Hurlburt’s expenses was a generator, among other things, he resigned.
“I think I’m pretty good when it comes to money. I don’t take the responsibility I’ve been charged with lightly,” he added. “If its public money, I have a responsibility to spend that money wisely and I think the four years that I’ve been here, consistently I’m at the bottom or near the bottom when it comes to MLA expenses. I think we all have a responsibility to those that we serve. When people voted for me, one of the platforms I worked on was that I would be prudent, I would be responsible.”
Among the items on Paris’ asset inventory list, dated between August 2006 and Dec. 2008, released by the Speaker’s Office as part of a 197 page list, includes the purchase of two laptops, a Lenova ThinkPad on Nov. 24, 2006, for a price tag of $2,123.76 from Komputer Kare Limited, and two years later a Toshiba Laptop with MS Office and Internet security on Nov. 6, 2008, from Staples for $982.76 with HST, constituency renovations that cost $8,631.01, a Kodak digital camera from Canadian Tire for $203.37 and $1,181.04 for the installation of alarm and security monitoring on Aug. 10, 2006, from Hide A Wire Security Technology.
Paris had an explanation as to why he purchased two laptops in a little over two weeks.
“I use a laptop for my everyday use and when the house is in session, I had to take a laptop with me,” he said. “My Constituency Assistant (Megan Deveaux) also has a laptop because she does things for me in the evening, does things on the weekend. It seemed like an appropriate expense for her to have a laptop as well.”
He also spent $402.50 on eight chairs, seven visitor chairs, three credenzas, two desks, a reception station, a small round meeting table, three coat trees, two folding tables, three filing cabinets, a small shredder and a printer table, all of which were obtained through government surplus to furnish the constituency office. Even his constituency payments keep him away from being criticized, as he spent just $4,079.88 on part-time administrative help and coverage for Constituency Assistant vacation. Compare that to Premier Dexter, who tallied $54,300.12 between July 2006 and June 2009.
“When we came into this office, it was just a shell. No walls, no doors, no nothing, the place was in pretty rough shape,” Paris said. “What we did was come in, put up walls for some offices, we had to install doors, new windows and paint. The cosmetic things had to be done to make it useable. I looked at this building and I guess what I saw was an investment and I was justifying it.”
Paris said his constituents seem to be breathing easier knowing their representative isn’t one of the MLAs who are involved in the scandal that may hinder the reputation of those government representatives.
“I think people are relieved that I’m not involved, so that’s the first response that I get,” he added. “The second response I get is that they’re disappointed at MLAs from all parties that are directly related to the expenses. I’ve heard a lot of jokes about generators over the last few weeks, but I think overall the constituents in Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank are holding their head up high because they have an MLA that was prudent.”
While Goucher has told several Halifax-based media outlets that he understood from the Speaker’s Office MLAs had to use the money or lose it, Paris said that was news to him.
“I never heard that before,” Paris said. “I know with my accounting, every year I have a surplus and I know I’m going to have a surplus and that never inspired me to spend and spend and spend.”
Paris did admit to unknowingly double dipping and paying for some things twice, such as advertising with various media outlets, including The Laker. The amount he owed for this was $1,200, all of which he has paid back.
“What happens is in haste sometimes I would pay a bill late and get an invoice the next month with the previous month’s balance amount included, so I would pay it again, without realizing it,” he explained. “I said look I won’t argue with the speaker’s office about anything, if they say I owe them money then I have no problems with paying it.”
He was hesitant to call for MLAs who have been found to have spent excessively to resign.
“I hate to pass judgement on people. I’m not here to judge people, even though that sounds like a contradiction because I think we make comments all the time about behaviours and actions,” Paris said. “I think there are consequences to everything we do in life.”
For each MLA who has been named it will be up to them to fix things so they can restore their reputation in time for the next election.
“We’ve already had one MLA that has resigned. I think that was a good move on his part,” Paris said. “I think each MLA will handle it differently and I think there are some that have such a solid reputation I don’t know how much damage this will actually do to them. I think that remains to be seen.”
He asked the residents of Nova Scotia to remain positive despite the dark clouds this report has put over Province House and each MLA that represents them.
“I would like to ask the voting public to not lose faith in politicians,” Paris said. “I hate being brushed with the same paint brush. I’m here for the people, trying to do the people’s work and do it honestly. I’ll continue to do that. Do I still believe in the NDP? I think we have to give credit where credit’s due. Darrell Dexter and the entire NDP Caucus fully support the AG and are enthused about moving forward.
“If this wasn’t all discovered, life would go on and there would be no changes. This is how we make changes in life by finding out the flaws and fixing them.”
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com