Before Christmas, Tom Rideout went to the Speaker of the House of Assembly looking for a exemption from the maximum limit on constituency office costs. The cap is $7,000 and according to a report filed by the Speaker with the House management committee, the best price Rideout could get was $12,000 plus HST.
But here's the thing; doesn't Tom - as a cabinet minister - get an office, rent-free, in a government building?
Hmmm?
Maybe office space be found in a provincially owned building, maybe, that would cost less than $1,000 per month plus HST. That seems a solution that takes into consideration the burden on the taxpayer's pocket.
Twelve thousand bucks is pretty pricey digs, even for a guy used to renting elaborate "offices" that come complete with a basement, three bedrooms, a bathroom or two, a living room, kitchen and dining room.
Very cheeky for Tom, especially considering that this request was already submitted to the legislature - and likely already approved by the Speaker - when the whole mess on Tom's old "office" exploded in the Telegram.
-srbp-
