• CTF Points to Y2K Saskatchewan NDP Leadership Contest as "Cause for Concern"
   
• CTF Says Resignations Would Signal Principle and Protect Taxpayers
   
• CTF Says Non-Elected Candidates Should Also Address Perceptual Issues
   
• CTF Vows to Track all Flight and Related Government Expense Records

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has challenged all candidates vying for Ontario PC leadership to resign their Cabinet positions (but maintaining their status as MPPs) or address substantive perceptual issues if they are from the private sector.

Potential for abuse is real -
"The potential for abuse of public funds during political leadership campaigns is always present but the potential for serious abuse of the privileges and perks of elected office is the greatest for governing parties when they stage a leadership contest," stated CTF federal director Walter Robinson.

"With this in mind, we are challenging all those candidates who wish to replace Mike Harris as PC Party leader and become the next Premier of the Province of Ontario to resign their Cabinet portfolios - if they hold one - upon declaring their candidacy for the PC leadership," added Robinson. "The NDP leadership contest in Saskatchewan proved that the temptation to abuse government privileges is too hard to resist during the course of a leadership race."

Mr. Robinson was referring to evidence obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the CTF that revealed abuse of Saskatchewan government aircraft from October 2000 to January 2001 by several cabinet ministers, right in the middle of the Saskatchewan NDP leadership contest. Specifically, three cabinet ministers who sought the NDP leadership used government aircraft for partisan and questionable purposes, with very little government business on their schedules. A fourth Minister, Chris Axworthy, a former federal MP and Saskatchewan Minister of Justice - before seeking the NDP leadership - resigned his post on principle.

Resignations would signal principle -
"Resigning one's Cabinet post would signal a candidate's principle and respect for taxpayers hard-earned dollars," Robinson stressed. "Moreover, it would remove any doubts from people's minds whether a Minister's office was actually conducting Crown business or whether it was just a satellite, or worse still, a headquarters for a leadership campaign."

Robinson also stressed that any non-elected candidates should "carefully consider the optics of remaining in their full-time jobs if perceptual issues of conflict of interest become substantive. Such questions only serve to further belittle and undermine the political process."


Records and expenses will be tracked -
"We will track a variety of government expenditures from the use of airplanes to cell phone accounts and other government perks through Freedom of Information requests. And it will not only be the expenses of candidates, but their major supporters around the Cabinet table and in caucus as well - straight through until the vote next March," said Robinson. "Candidates should be forewarned that we will blow the whistle - loudly and clearly - on any abuses of taxpayer funds for partisan purposes."

"While we have agreed with the direction of the Harris government on many issues, there is a clear issue of concern when it comes to using public funds for partisan purposes," noted Robinson. "For example, on the issue of taxpayer funded partisan advertising, the present government has elevated this offensive practice to the unfortunate level of political art-form."

Resignation letters should be forthcoming -
"In fairness to Premier Harris, he has made it abundantly clear to his troops that leadership activities should be kept distinct and separate from those of government and we totally agree," concluded Robinson. "However the Premier's words should be backed by concrete and resolute actions from those who seek to replace him. Women and men of principle should willingly heed our resignation call."