May 9th, 2022

Conservative takes $44,000 salary top-up from donors and taxpayers

Doug Ford’s Conservative candidate Lisa MacLeod takes an ‘MPP Allowance’ top-up from her riding association, expense reports show.

Between 2018 and 2020, MacLeod pocketed $44,000 from her riding association, funded by Conservative donors and public money.

MacLeod already earned $165,850/year, plus travel, meal and hospitality expenses as a cabinet minister, and also gets an additional housing allowance as an MPP from the Legislature.

The donors who fund Macleod’s riding association include Conservative developers and lobbyists, one of whom has landholdings along Ford’s Bradford Bypass.

MacLeod’s riding association received $32,930 in public subsidies from 2018-2020.

“When so many people are being hit by the housing crisis, it’s alarming that Doug Ford is letting an MPP, who already earns six figures, take funds from their donors to pay for personal housing expenses,” said Catherine Fife, NDP Candidate for Waterloo.

“Doug Ford has cut health care and school funding while he’s made choices that only help out his buddies. Now we learn he’s letting his Minister take a top-up funded by those same Conservative donors and taxpayers. Again and again, Doug Ford looks out for his buddies first, and people pay for it,” said Fife.

Background

Expenses charged to the Nepean riding association, such as travel and food expenses, are listed separately from MacLeod’s ‘MPP Allowance’ on their annual financial report. Those records are available on Elections Ontario’s Financial Statements.

MacLeod’s ‘MPP Allowance’:
2018- $18,200
2019- $16,727
2020- $9,500

Public subsidies to MacLeod’s riding:
2018- $8,953.95
2019- $11,873.64
2020- $12,102.84

MPP salary and housing allowances are listed on the OLA website.

Cabinet Ministers’ government travel, meal and hospitality expenses are listed on the Government of Ontario website.

Nepean PC donations are listed on Elections Ontario’s website which include one of whom has landholdings along Ford’s Bradford Bypass.

media@ontariondp.ca