Monday, November 18, 2019

Huge differences in expense claims

There are huge differences in expense claims and compliance with government policy among appointed bodies under the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

For example, OMAFRA’s Appeal Tribunal has no expense reports on its website. Nor do the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission and the Ontario Food Terminal Board.

The others all comply with government policy, providing reports back to 2015.

But some members asked for far more than others. For example, for a two-day meeting in Guelph of the Grain Financial Protection Board, chairman Henry Van Ankum filed expenses of $100 compared with more than $1,200 for Charles Amyot.

Murray Allen filed a claim for $1,077.39 for one day meeting of the Livestock Financial Protection Board at Guelph while vice-chairman Paul Sharpe claimed only $34. Air fare for Allen was $869.02.

The members of the Livestock Medicines Advisory Committee didn’t ask for any money.

The Business Risk Management Review Committee’s reports were not available on OMAFRA’s internet service.