Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

As a result of some inquiries over the matter, the following is an excerpt (pages 3 and 4) from the document “Individual Member’s Expenditures for the Fiscal Year 2008-2009“, published October 2009:

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Effective April 1, 2008, the basic annual Member’s Office Budget for all constituencies was $280,500 (prorated to $129,880 for new Members elected on October 14, 2008). Members who represent densely populated constituencies receive an Elector Supplement, ranging from $8,570 to $51,370 (prorated amount of $3,970 to $23,790 for new Members elected on October 14, 2008). Also, due to the election, some re-elected Members received an adjusted Elector Supplement. Members who represent constituencies of 500 square kilometres or more receive a Geographic Supplement, ranging from $4,740 to $52,120 (prorated amount of $2,190 to $24,130 for new Members elected on October 14, 2008).

Members who represent constituencies listed in Schedule 3 of the Canada Elections Act receive an additional supplement of $16,580 or $19,900 (prorated to $7,680 or $9,210 for new Members elected on October 14, 2008).

The MOB is used as follows:
(1) STAFF AND OTHER EXPENSES ─ includes employee salaries, service contracts and constituency office operating expenses such as utilities, telephone service for secondary constituency offices, additional cellular and Personal Digital Assistant (BlackBerry) services in excess of goods and services provided by the House (as well as airtime and data plans), furniture and computer equipment. This item also includes a Miscellaneous Expenditures Account of up to 3% of the Member’s Office Budget for certain hospitality expenses and gifts given for reasons of official protocol.

(2) TRAVEL ─ includes travel, accommodation, meal and incidental expenses incurred by the Member and the Member’s employees, designated traveller and/or dependant(s) within the constituency or the province or territory in which the constituency is located. It also includes certain transportation expenses incurred by the Member within the National Capital Region, as well as accommodation, meal and incidental expenses incurred by employees on parliamentary business trips within Canada specifically authorized by the Board of Internal Economy.

(3) ADVERTISING ─ allows Members to communicate with their constituents about their office location and contact information, assistance and services they provide and meeting announcements related to the discharge of their constituency functions, and to issue congratulatory messages or greetings to constituents and opinions or statements in support of their parliamentary functions. The Advertising Expenses Account is limited to 10% of the Member’s Office Budget.

(4) OFFICE LEASE ─ rental of constituency office(s).

The following costs are charged to House Administration central budgets:

(5) TRAVEL
(a) each Member is allowed a maximum of 64 return trips each fiscal year between Ottawa and their constituency and other parts of Canada (30 return trips on a prorated basis for all Members elected on October 14, 2008 ). Four (4) of these trips can also be used to travel to Washington, D.C., and the point of departure must be Ottawa, the Member’s constituency or the American border airport closest to their constituency. Opposition Party Leaders are entitled to an additional 16 return trips for a total of 80 return trips (7 return trips on a prorated basis for Opposition Party Leaders elected on October 14, 2008 for a total of 37 return trips);
(b) while in travel status, each Member may be reimbursed for private or rented accommodation and for meals and incidental expenses up to the per diem rate, to a maximum of $25,092 per fiscal year (prorated to $11,620 for new Members elected on October 14, 2008).

(6) TELEPHONE ─ four lines, one fax line and one toll-free number for the primary constituency office telephone services and long-distance charges; a maximum of four wireless devices and services with three voice plans and one data plan.

(7) PRINTING
(a) Householders – printed materials sent by Members (up to four householders per calendar year) to inform their constituents about
parliamentary activities and issues;
(b) Ten Percenters (additional householders) – printed or photocopied material reproduced in quantities not exceeding 10% of the total number of households in a Member’s constituency;
(c) Ten Percenter Regrouping (additional householders) – some or all Members in a recognized party collectively submit, via their Whip’s office, an identical ten-percenter request; up to one regrouping per month is allowed, to a maximum of 10% of the total households represented by the Members submitting the request.

(8) OFFICE SUPPLIES ─ for the Ottawa and constituency offices.

(9) CONSTITUENCY OFFICE FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT IMPROVEMENT FUND ─ Members may purchase, out of this fund,
office furniture, equipment, computers and supplies for their constituency office(s) using House Administration standing offers only, up
to a maximum of $5,000 per year (prorated to $2,320 for new Members elected on October 14, 2008).

(10) OTHER ─ includes furniture, computer and communication equipment, software and renovations for the Member’s Ottawa office.

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With respect to Alice Wong, page 62 of the document has the following entry (click to zoom in):

The financial statements for the House of Commons can be found here. They are audited by KPMG.

Information about the Board of Internal Economy can be found here.

All of the information provided here for fiscal 2008-2009 has been publicly accessible since October 2009.

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