For a week and a bit, political junkies in Nova Scotia have been abuzz with the juicy tidbits revealed in the auditor general's report. In his 142-page report, Jacques Lapointe concluded inappropriate claims were made by some politicians for "excessive and unreasonable" personal items. Although the auditor general didn't name names—those were revealed on Monday—examples of excessive spending included $8,000 for a generator, $2,100 for a digital camera, $738 for an espresso coffee machine, $750 for a GPS unit, $400 for patio furniture and the list goes on.
Since the scandal broke, many MLAs have apologized and paid the government back. But they didn't really break any rules with their spending: MLAs are allowed up to $48,000 a year in allowances that require no receipts at all.
And the story keeps rolling. Yarmouth MLA Richard Hurlburt has resigned and Conservative leader Karen Casey is under fire for keeping mum about what she knew.
What party has been harmed the most by the spending scandal? What do you find most upsetting about the scandal? What changes do you think should be put in place to end extravagant personal purchases?