Arnott supports review of MPP spending; says position not conventional 9 to 5 job

Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott said he welcomes any questions related to MPP spending on accommodations in Toronto as part of their elected positions.
A recent Toronto Star article questioned MPPs having apartments in the city, despite living within what the paper felt is “commuting distance” from the city.
MPPs living more than 50 kilometres from Queen’s Park are eligible for provincial funding to pay for an apartment.
Arnott, according to the Star article, has received $17,855 for an apartment in the Jarvis-Carleton area.
Arnott, who also has a home in Fergus, estimates the distance from his home to Queen’s Park is about 125 kilometres.
“The Star article raised a reasonable question, at a time when all government spending needs to be scrutinized,” Arnott said in a press release after the article appeared in the Newspaper on July 25.
The allowance is administered by the board of internal economy, Arnott told the Advertiser.
“Yes, the Legislature provides a housing allowance for members who live some distance from downtown Toronto, and has done so for years,” he said.
“To use my situation as an example, my family and I live in Fergus, and these days it takes me between two and a half to three hours to drive one way to Queen’s Park, or return home one way.
“A daily commute from Fergus to downtown Toronto would therefore be five to six hours in total per day. When the House is sitting, I’m usually at Queen’s Park Monday to Thursday and we have long work days.”
Arnott continued, “A 10 -hour work day for me is probably the average. Some work days are 16 hours. Most MPPs do far more than just go into the chamber each day.
“Most of us spend considerable time in our offices each day as well. We are also expected to attend many events in the evenings.
“While it’s true that night sittings are less frequent than they were in the past, the government recently threatened night sittings during the just finished summer sitting,” Arnott said.
“During the time I have been privileged to serve here, we have had midnight sittings.  Other years, we have routinely sat until 9:30 at night. On some occasions we have had filibusters that lasted 24 hours for days on end. Being an MPP is not a conventional ‘nine to five’ job.”
Arnott said he would welcome a review of the spending regulations and would like to see eligibility requirements for housing expenses increased to 100km.

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