MP’s expense documents tabled in the House of Commons show NDP leader Jagmeet Singh as Canada’s most financially costly MP, with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre the least. From April 1, 2023 to December 21, 2023, Singh expensed $533,533, while Poilievre charged $143,201. The figures, analyzed by the National Post Friday, do not include expenses accrued as party leader; the figures portray taxpayer dollars going to each individual as a member of parliament. Singh's staff costs are double those of Poilievre. Singh from October 1 to December 31 expensed $63,790.64 in salary costs, while Poilievre expensed $33,808.68. During the summer of 2023 Singh’s staff costs skyrocketed to $94,051.82, triple that of Poilievre's $33,751.19.The NDP leader’s charges spiked during the July 1 to September 30 quarter due to what was labelled “contracts.” That category consisted of rent, advertising and janitorial services.Poilievre is one of the few MPs who did not charge any “travel” or “hospitality” related expenses. Notably, Singh’s Burnaby South riding is across the country in BC, while Poilievre represents Carleton in Ottawa. However, between July 1 and September 30, he expensed $66,181.59, a similar amount to his travel expenses of $65,836.58 almost exactly matched those of NDP MP Lori Idlout, who commutes to Ottawa from Nunavut. Commercial flights from Vancouver to Ottawa are about half the cost as from Nunavut, at approximately $500 compared to over $1,000. Singh himself is from Scarborough, ON and has represented other ridings in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). In 2019 he decided to run in his current riding near Vancouver. Expenses accrued as “presiding officers” (opposition leaders) in the House of Commons, which is a separate budget, show Poilievre as “Leader of the Official Opposition,” spent $1.1 million in the final quarter of 2023 and $1.1 million and Singh, as “Other Opposition Party,” expensed $330,994.71. Poilievre has 118 MPs in his caucus, while Singh has 24. That works out to a cost of $9,322 per person in Poilievre’s Conservative party, and $13,791 in Singh’s NDP. Notably, the office of the official opposition leader, along with the offices of the prime minister and speaker of the house, occupies a taxpayer-funded property. Poilievre spent $35,463 for upkeep on his residence, Stornoway.
