Credit cards MP criticized for card misuse
PM won't fire our MP over fur coat mistake

by P.J. Harston
Northern News Services

NNSL (OCT 30/96) - The Western Arctic's MP has again come under fire for her use of government credit cards.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien said over the weekend that Ethel Blondin-Andrew (left) made a mistake, but he's not firing her over it.

Late last week a Tory senator and Reform Party MPs demanded Chretien fire Blondin-Andrew from her position as secretary of state for youth over allegations she misused taxpayers money.

But Chretien rejected those calls.

"She paid everything within days or weeks, but she shouldn't have done it," Chretien told reporters Sunday at the conclusion of the Liberal policy convention in Ottawa. "Everyone makes some small mistakes.... I don't think you let go of a minister for that."

However, Reform MP Chuck Strahl said a federal employee in his riding was fired for doing the same thing as Blondin-Andrew.

Blondin-Andrew admitted earlier this month to using her government credit card to make personal purchases and then re-imbursing the government for the expenses.

The expenses were charged to the government credit card over the last year and were reimbursed without question, according to government ethics commissioner Howard Wilson.

He investigated the allegations earlier this month and said yesterday that the case was closed. He said he still believes Blondin-Andrew did nothing wrong.

A southern newspaper that obtained information on Ethel Blondin-Andrew's expenses stated she "racked up thousands of dollars of personal expenses on her government credit card, including vacations to Hawaii, Mexico and even a fur coat."

Tory Sen. Marjory Breton said Wilson failed to properly investigate the situation.

Wilson said he talked with Blondin-Andrew about her credit card use and advised her to use her own cash or credit cards when making personal purchases.

Another Reform MP, Ken Epp, said he believes there's a much broader issue at stake. "The commissioner is measuring the Liberals' level of ethics with a rubber ruler," he said.

Blondin-Andrew, who is paid about $140,300 in salary and benefits, insists she acted within Treasury Board guidelines.

She was not available for comment earlier this week and did not return phone messages left Monday in Ottawa or at her hotel room in Saskatoon.