Senator Nancy Greene Raine
Appendix B—Files recommended for review by the Standing Senate Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration Senator Nancy Greene Raine
Province: British Columbia
Appointment date: 2 January 2009
For the period from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2013
| Total amount of items referred to the Internal Economy Committee (including applicable taxes) |
$2,800 |
| Amount repaid after 5 June 2013 and before 7 May 2015 | $2,386 |
Findings—travel
We found several instances of travel expenses claimed by the Senator that were not for parliamentary business.
1. On two occasions, the Senator stopped in Toronto as part of her travel to Ottawa. These stopovers in Toronto were made so that she could attend ski shows. The Senator reviewed her claims in 2013, realized that she should not have claimed these expenses, and has made a full repayment for them. The incremental cost of the two stopovers was $1,688.
2. During the audit period, the Senator was the chair of a community board in British Columbia. In March 2013, the Senator travelled from Ottawa to Calgary, using a flight pass. However, she incurred additional flight and mileage costs to attend a board meeting in Kelowna, British Columbia. In reviewing her claims in 2013, the Senator realized that she should not have claimed these expenses, and made a full repayment for them. The incremental travel cost was $353.
3. In November 2012, the Senator travelled from her primary residence in Kamloops, British Columbia, to Ottawa. On her return, the Senator stopped overnight in Vancouver before leaving for a holiday with her spouse. We determined that the overnight stay was for personal interests. The incremental cost of the overnight stay in Vancouver was $211.
4. On 25 November 2011, the Senator attended the 50th wedding anniversary of another Senator, near Vancouver. The Senator stated that she had been invited to attend as a Senate colleague, because the Senator whose anniversary was being celebrated was her mentor in the Senate. We determined that this claim was primarily for personal activities, rather than parliamentary business. The incremental travel cost was $203.
Findings—other
5. In February 2012, the Senator attended an Aboriginal awards event. She submitted an office expense claim that included the cost of the ticket for $345. Because Senate policy stipulated that the Senate would not fund admission tickets or expenditures that were contributions to charity or fundraising events, we determined that the ticket was an ineligible expense. The Senator has repaid the entire amount.
The Senator’s comments
ITEM 1
- This was a good faith, administrative error. I discovered these errors on my own and repaid the funds prior to meeting with the auditors.
ITEM 2
- This was a good faith, administrative error. I discovered this error on my own and the funds were repaid prior to meeting with the auditors.
ITEM 3
- When the Senate sits late on Thursdays, I miss the last flight to Kamloops from Vancouver, so must stay overnight at the airport hotel in Vancouver. I then take the first available flight on to Kamloops the next morning. The only difference in this situation was that I could not fly to Kamloops the next morning since I was taking another trip which was booked to leave from Vancouver.
ITEM 4
- I attended the event for a British Columbia Senator because it was organized as a tribute to his lengthy and distinguished career of public service. Other guests included federal, provincial and municipal representatives. The Senator who was being honoured is a well-known public figure in British Columbia, my home province.
ITEM 5
- I was invited by the organizers of this event in my capacity as a Senator and a Member of the Aboriginal Affairs Committee. Expensing the ticket was in error as it was a charitable event. The funds have been repaid.