EDMONTON: After voting herself a big raise on Thursday night, Edmonton M.P. and Justice Minister Anne McLellan hopped on to a Challenger jet in Ottawa, and was the only passenger taken back to Edmonton. The Challenger then flew back to Ottawa without passengers. The cost to taxpayers for the return trip is estimated at $16,000 or more, because the Minister was not willing to wait for the next commercial flight at 6:30 a.m. the following morning.

The Minister missed her evening flight because she was voting herself a raise, and the next commercial flight out of Ottawa was at 6:30 the following morning

"This is a shameful abuse of public funds," stated the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) Alberta Director John Carpay.

"Why could she not have taken a commercial flight the following morning, as other M.P.s did "

"Following up on an unjustified pay raise, this is further evidence of contempt for taxpayers. Does 'Lonely Anne' realize that every dollar she spends is taken from the pockets of working Canadians "