Thread by @JPTasker

New from me — The cost of the Senate has soared in the last five years. cbc.ca/news/politics/… #cdnpoli #SenCA

Another depressing day for openness and transparency in #SenCA. I asked for detailed financial statements of (taxpayer-funded) spending in the upper house - documents that were discussed openly at a televised committee meeting - but they say these aren't "public documents."

I asked for comment from internal economy committee on sizeable (33% in 4 years!) increase in spending at @SenateCA. They referred me to transcripts from meetings held months ago. They declined (!) to comment. The @ISGSenate also declined (!) to comment. @denisebatters did speak.

This isn't a private business. The public (through the media) should know how parliamentarians are spending taxpayer funds. Full stop. If you say the place is more open and transparent post-expenses scandal: prove it. #SenCA

I've done my best to compile a list of spending increases in the last five years. But we have no idea — with any real level of specificity — how senators (and bureaucrats in administration) are spending taxpayers' money, beyond catch-all line items like "transformation projects."