Limo company used by Health Minister Jane Philpott offers refund to taxpayers

Unfortunately, federal Health Minister Jane Philpott got only as far as the GTA in her one-day limousine trip between Markham, Hamilton and Toronto last March.

The fee was charged on March 31 to Executive Sedan Livery Service Inc. from the minister’s departmental credit card.

The owner of the company canvassed for the minister in the election and Philpott was aware of this connection when she used the service.

On Wednesday, the minister’s office acknowledged spending $1,994 for vehicle service on July 12, when the minister spoke at the Assembly of First Nations annual meeting in Niagara Falls, Ont., and another $3,815 for 20 trips to Toronto’s Pearson airport for flights to Ottawa on ministerial business.

But she did not immediately indicate she’ll whether she’ll repay $3,815 spent on 20 trips to Pearson airport – Philpott’s riding is in the Toronto-area.

The minister also wasn’t upfront with Parliament when she said she didn’t use limos, he added.

It is absolutely not appropriate for Shirani to reimburse taxpayers, Carrie said Thursday, stressing the minister needs to be the one held accountable.

“She becomes the minister and suddenly there is a level of Bev Oda-style entitlement”.

“I think the average Canadian can connect the dots here – she has overpaid a Liberal activist three times the going rate”.

Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Aaron Wudrick agreed.

“I have already taken steps to prevent this from occurring in the future”, she said.

The Prime Minister’s Office has yet to respond to a request for comment.

Philpot is right to pay back the cost of the limo, but her sin is really just the tip of the iceberg. “She was able to work full-time on what I can only assume was important business for our national government”.

He also took aim at Philpott’s political critics. He mentioned that “I resent the implication that, somehow, I was “playing the system” as an “insider” in some inappropriate way”.

“I am pleased that minister Philpott is taking responsibility over her failure to respect the principles of accountability and transparency”, he said.

The limo service is owned by Reza Shirani, who was a volunteer on Philpott’s election campaign a year ago. Her office added it will no longer use the company.