The federal government appears poised to rein in Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson after it was reported she spent $5.3-million on a trip to Russia, Finland and Iceland last year with 59 high-profile Canadians. The tab was more than five times initial reports of the cost. Bill Graham, the Foreign Affairs Minister, said yesterday the government plans to intervene with Madame Clarkson's office about her spending, appearing to suggest she take fewer trips with smaller entourages. "It would be unreasonable not to recognize that this was very expensive," Mr. Graham said in Washington, where he met with United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. "I think we have to look at the ways we can constrain these expenses and work with the Governor-General's office to make sure we are getting absolute value for everything we do." But Mr. Graham also defended Mme. Clarkson's trip, saying it was "very much a part of what we were trying to achieve." The Foreign Affairs Department picked up the tab for most of the trip last September, which was promoted as an opportunity to raise Canada's profile among Arctic nations and underline the importance of this country's North. The trip was made on the suggestion of former prime minister Jean Chretien, said the Governor-General's press secretary, Randy Mylyk. Mr. Chretien wrote to Mme. Clarkson in 2001, proposing the tour in part as a response to invitations for a state visit from abroad, Mr. Mylyk said. Critics of the trip at home saw it as lavish and unnecessary, and some MPs pushed for more scrutiny of the Governor-General's budget, which had grown from about $10-million in 1995 to about $20-million last year. News reports before the trip pegged the expected cost at about $1-million, although Mr. Mylyk said that figure was "never confirmed" with Rideau Hall, and Mr. Graham called the published estimate erroneous. "That figure was booted about in the press," Mr. Graham said. "I don't know where that figure came from." Early estimates for the trip from Foreign Affairs were actually about $1.5-million per country, Mr. Mylyk said. Moreover, representatives for the Governor-General did not submit a final cost on the state trip when they broke away from their journey to appear before the House of Commons government operations and estimates committee, which oversees the Governor-General's expenses, he added. "We simply said the actual costs of the trip could not be finalized because the trip was already underway," Mr. Mylyk said. The reaction of opposition MPs yesterday to the final costs of Mme. Clarkson's trip was quick and angry. "I'm moving a motion to reduce her budget by $5.3-million," said Manitoba New Democrat MP Pat Martin, a member of the operations and estimates committee. "She might have to switch to a different brand of caviar at Rideau Hall for a couple of years," Mr. Martin added. The committee will meet on Tuesday for the first time under the new Liberal administration and Mr. Martin said he would demand that preparations for another trip by Mme. Clarkson -- to Norway, Denmark and Sweden -- be stopped. "We want to revisit the whole role of our Governor-General. What do we want her to do for us?" Mr. Martin asked. The publishing of the tour's cost came at the end of a week marked by the growing government sponsorship scandal and it fuelled new opposition attacks that federal spending was out of control. "It's another sad and depressing example of excess in many ways," said Conservative MP Peter MacKay. "This is yet another in a long litany of examples of how taxpayers' money has been spent irresponsibly and the Governor-General is not shielded from the protection that is supposed to exist when it comes to spending other people's money." Mme. Clarkson has rejected calls for her to appear before a committee to explain her expenses, saying she is "above politics."
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