MLAs debate frequency of posting expenses online
Posted Mar 29, 2010 05:40:25 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Nova Scotia government is going online in an effort to make MLA spending more open and transparent.
Now it’s up to MLAs to decide how often their expenses should be posted to the internet.
A bill currently under debate in the provincial legislature would create a new commission to oversee the spending of the house.
It will allow the auditor to regularly review legislative expenditures and will require all members’ expenses to be published online.
Premier Darrell Dexter says they’re looking at Newfoundland’s website model which is updated semi-annually.
“Whether we follow that model or a more frequent one all of this has to do with the question of what is efficient and expedient,” Dexter said.
Tory MLA Chuck Porter says his books are balanced each month
“Generally every month, sometimes every couple of months depending on how busy we are,” he said. “We get a little behind in getting them submitted…so if they were up every couple of months or even a quarter.”
Costs will be a factor.
The request for proposals on the website has yet to be released and already government has spent between $200,000 and $250,000 on web advice.
