Yellowknife (Oct 30/06) - During the last year, territorial politicians spent thousands of tax dollars on customized golf balls, monogrammed post-it notes, pens, lavish dinners and even family vacations, according to records obtained by News/North.

In 2005-2006, MLAs were given between $78,950 and $99,250 to spend on everything from secretaries to flights to notepads. Below are some of their more notable purchases outlined in documents News/North has obtained from the territorial government. Brendan Bell/Yellowknife South $931 for newsletter delivery by the Yellowknife Christian Education Society Bill Braden/Great Slave $1,685 for promotional items Paul Delorey/Hay River North $1,105 for Christmas cards Charles Dent/Frame Lake $1,275 for Christmas cards Jane Groenewegen/Hay River South $934 for promotional pens $834 for digital camera $998 for 2,000 message pads Joe Handley/Weledeh $4,308 computer system $3,058 for 249 pens $6,550 for 1,000 day timers Robert Hawkins/Yellowknife Centre $999 for a scanner $1,180 for Rotary Club membership $514 for a digital camera $500 for cell phone David Krutko/Mackenzie Delta $1,100 for production and delivery of Christmas cards $2,514 for mugs and water bottles $580 for Thunderstix Jackson Lafferty/Monfwi $1,357 for a digital camera, memory card and flash $578 for a Palm Pilot Sandy Lee/Range Lake $100 for a wireless mouse Michael McLeod/Deh Cho $1,150 for 50 tote bags $4,436 for 500 calendars Robert McLeod/Inuvik Twin Lakes $2,054 for mugs, fridge magnets, travel mugs and pens Kevin Menicoche/Nahendeh $3,102 for fleece blankets, mugs, key rings, pens $401 for 15 dozen golf balls Michael Miltenberger/ Thebacha $1,000 for a camcorder Calvin Pokiak/Nunakput $930 for Christmas cards Dave Ramsay/Kam Lake $1,510 for 1,500 post-it note pads Floyd Roland/Inuvik Boot Lake $1,418 for a digital camera $1,057 for Christmas cards Bobby Villeneuve/Tu Nedhe $3,584 for caps, mugs and multi-tools $2,023 to attend funeral in Winnipeg, Man. Norman Yakeleya/Sahtu $991 for greeting cards $2,000 for wooden pens $600 for a three-day truck rental

Hundreds of recently released government documents outline what critics are calling waste on an impressive scale. The tally includes one MLA who spent $1,500 on customized post-it notes. Another bought $400 worth of golf balls. Even Premier Joe Handley spent over $3,000 on a boxful of pens.

The totals, contained in records from the legislative assembly, reveal government spending run amok, according to watch dog groups and social advocates.

"Something is not right here," said Adam Taylor, national research director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a group that tracks government spending.

With social services like health care in "tatters", leaders should not be spending thousands on what are essentially trinkets, Taylor said.

"(Across Canada), people are tired of politicians and senior bureaucrats using expense accounts as slush funds," he said earlier this month from Ottawa. "Leaders need to ask: 'Would it kill us to spend a little more frugally'."

Territorial politicians are given between $78,950 and $99,250 annually - depending on their riding - to carry out the business of government. Current spending rules give MLAs wide latitude in how they dole out these so-called constituency funds, although they usually go towards flights, newsletters, hotel stays, and office assistants. Cabinet ministers have some of those costs covered by their department. (The stipend doesn't include a $27,840 housing allowance and $2,000 for telecommunications.)

Financial records show seven of the 11 regular, or non-cabinet, MLAs spent at least 93 percent of their budget during the 2005-2006 fiscal year. Four (Norman Yakeleya, Jane Groenewegen Robert Hawkins and Sandy Lee) paid out 99 per cent of their allowances.

The undisputed champion of thrift was Nunakput MLA Calvin Pokiak, whose riding includes the remote Arctic Ocean communities of Tuktoyaktuk and Paulatuk. Pokiak, who did not return an interview request, was left with $37,000 in the bank from his $97,000 budget.

Other leaders, though, suggested it usually takes an MLA's entire allowance to serve their constituents. Tu Nedhe's Bobby Villeneuve, who represents several communities on the eastern shore of Great Slave Lake, said budgets are "pretty thin" and politicians have to manage their money closely. "You don't want to be buying (constituents) bikes and SUVs and motorcycles," he said. "That would be shady."

While almost all of the spending contained in government records from 2005-2006 is legal, critics are calling some purchases questionable, if not downright wasteful.

Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay paid a Yellowknife design company $1,500 for 1,500 customized post-it note pads. Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche spent $401 on 15 packs of customized golf balls. Range Lake MLA Sandy Lee spent $100 on a wireless mouse. And Handley doled out $3,058 for 249 pens. Most of the items went to constituents as gifts.

When News/North asked Handley about the pens, he said: "They were that much?" and explained his assistant made the purchase.

"I did it once and I won't do it again."

But Arlene Hache, director of the Centre for Northern Families, a Yellowkinfe women's shelter, said the spending was irresponsible.

"It's a tough pill to swallow when the shelter... is in a huge deficit," said Hache, a frequent critic of the government, in an email. "I am wondering what constituent benefitted from the $400 golf balls. I (was) wondering if I could get (a pen and golf ball) to use as a fundraiser so the women at the shelter could afford some shampoo."

News/North was unable to contact Menicoche, who was recently appointed to Handley's cabinet, for this story.

Handley, Villeneuve and Ramsay said their purchases were made to help constituents and they made sure taxpayers were getting value for their money.

But Taylor - from the taxpayers' group - questioned whether the purchases were necessary. Instead of helping constituents, the customized notes, pens and golf balls amount to free advertising - a subtle reminders to voters come election day, he said.

"There is a partisan advantage. (The purchases) are not for official government business. Half the battle in an election campaign is having your candidate recognized. Having a taxpayer-funded expense account helps."

Handley, though, said his purchases are an important part of keeping an open dialogue with constituents. He also stops spending from his constituency fund within six months of an election to avoid influencing voters.

Ramsay also defended his decision to buy the post-it notes. "It doesn't hurt to get your name out there and let people know you are there if they need to contact you," he said. (The stickies, which featured a picture of the MLA and his contact information, were distributed with his semi-annual newsletter.)

Ramsay was Yellowknife's most frugal MLA during the last year, spending almost $15,000 less than his capital counterparts. He said he strives to save money and remain accountable to voters. "I've had the same laptop since I got here. It's money I'm responsible for," he said.

"There's a lot worse things going on out there."

That includes one MLA who financed a family vacation to the mountain resort of Jasper, Alta. with his government credit card.