According to media reports, the cost to taxpayers of shutting down Parliament is nearly $50 million – tax dollars wasted for basically nothing.
Members of Parliament and Senators, as well as hundreds of other Parliamentary staff, continue to get paid while Parliament is shut down.
According to The Hill Times, Parliament employs roughly 1200 full-time employees. Of those 1200 full-time employees, 222 people, mostly food service and Hansard reporting employees, were laid off as a result of prorogation – which means that the bulk of the cost of running Parliament is still borne by taxpayers even through Parliament is prorogued. Furthermore, laid-off Parliamentary staff are likely now collecting Employment Insurance at taxpayers’ expense.
A conservative estimate of taxpayer dollars wasted on prorogation would exclude MP salaries, as they do other work besides sit in Parliament.
Here’s how it all adds up:
Total operating cost for the House of Commons per year: $426,541,000
Total annual cost of MPs’ salaries: $108,209,000
House of Commons operating cost, minus MP salaries: $318,332,000
Total operating cost for the Senate per year: $90,606,000
Total annual cost of Senators’ salaries: $25,345,000
Senate operating cost, minus Senate salaries: $65,261,000
Average number of days Parliament sits: 173
Average cost for a single sitting day in the House of Commons: $318,332,000/173 = $1,840,000 per day
Average cost for a single sitting day in the Senate: $65,261,000/173 = $377,000 per day
Number of sitting days Parliament is prorogued: 22
Cost of prorogation in the House of Commons: $1,840,000 x 22 = $40,480,000
Cost of prorogation in the Senate: $377,000 x 22 = $8,294,000
Combined House and Senate cost during prorogation, minus MP and Senator salaries: $40,480,000+$8,294,000 = $48,774,000
Total cost of shutting down Parliament to taxpayers:$48,774,000
Returning
MP: Wayne Easter
Province: Prince
Edward Island
Region: Atlantic
Region
Area: 1 663
km2
Population: 33,796
(2006 census)
Major census subdivisions: Charlottetown*
and Cornwall
Other
electoral districts: Cardigan, Egmont, Hillsborough
Polling divisions: 68
Number
of electors on preliminary list: 25,234
(Elections Canada)
*Denotes that a census
subdivision occurs in more than one electoral district.
The agriculture industry is
a complex and multi-level chain comprising of suppliers,
farmers, processors, retailers and consumers in Canada
and abroad. This industry is a generator of wealth,
key to Canada's prosperity.
As Agriculture Critic, I have the opportunity to
work with industry, primary producers and Parliament
to build a stronger, more vibrant rural Canada and
strengthen our farmer's voice in Ottawa.
