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 Canada's Finance Minister Jim Flaherty speaks during a news conference in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa March 9, 2010. REUTERS/Chris Wattie |
OTTAWA - A day after Finance Minister Jim Flaherty promoted government restraint to balance the budget, he reportedly spent $3,100 of taxpayers'money to fly to London, Ont., in a private jet for a photo-op at Tim Hortons.
Last Friday, a day after the federal government unveiled its $270-billion budget, Flaherty reportedly jetted off to London on a Transport Canada plane to deliver a speech and pose for a photo.
Although he flew back on commercial aircraft, the travel bill was reportedly $3,100, with the plane costing over $1,000 an hour.
NDP finance critic Thomas Mulcair wondered in question period Monday if there was "any limit to (the government's) hypocrisy?" He said this was the second time in several months that Flaherty had used a private plane to travel to a Tim Hortons for a photo-op.
"This time, he (Flaherty) used a chartered plane for a photo-op at Tim Hortons to ‹ wait for it ‹ teach us a lesson about the importance of controlling government spending."
But Transport Minister John Baird fired back, arguing government planes can only be used when no commercial options are available, and the rules were followed in Flaherty's case.
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He also accused Mulcair of having something "against Tim Hortons," which is a position Baird said is "un-Canadian."