The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling for the provincial government to strengthen the office of the Municipal Auditor General after reporting from Kamloops This Week showed massive spending occurring at the Thompson Nicola Regional District.
In a statement, Kris Sims, B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said taxpayers deserve accountability.
“This spending scandal shows that our cities and towns need a strong office of the Municipal Auditor General for B.C., and that Premier John Horgan needs to make this a priority,” Sims said.
“An office of watchdogs keeping an eye on things would make government fat cats who are wining and dining each other at our expense think twice about doing so,” Sims said.
In their statement, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation listed expenses that former TNRD CAO Sukh Gill racked up, originally published in KTW articles, including $174,000 spent at coffee shops and restaurants using taxpayers’ money about once every other day over a five year period.
“Many British Columbians are struggling to make ends meet, and they should be furious that bureaucrats and politicians are treating each other to gifts of $997 diamond necklaces and fancy dinners on their dime,” Sims said.
“We need to send a message that a bureaucrat spending nearly $8,000 of taxpayers’ money on a champagne room is unacceptable.”
Gill left the TRND in February 2020.
On Wednesday, a week after the KTW articles were published, a statement was released from Thompson Rivers University saying Gill had also left TRU's board of governors.