Finance Minister Uses Tax Money for Make Up


Julian Wolfe
February 1st, 2012


Finance Minister Jim Flaherty Charges the taxpayer $130 for beauty care products like Maybelline, Covergirl and Smashbox.

A document from 2008 details how he and his parliamentary secretary Shelly Glover signed off approval for such a purchase in 2008.

“Please note that the cosmetics were purchased on the day of the 2008 Economic and Fiscal Statement (November 27, 2008) to prepare the Minister of Finance for the numerous television interviews conducted with media outlets from across Canada. This was necessitated as the cosmetician arranged to provide the service had abruptly cancelled that day, requiring that it be done by the Minister’s office staff.

The cosmetics purchased were subsequently used by ministerial staff to prepare the Minister, when required, for television interviews in 2008 and the years following.”

Document from Finance Department 2008

Products Flaherty Purchased

  • Cover Girl loose powder
  • Maybelline loose powder
  • Maybelline Concealer
  • Maybelline “Min Brush”
  • Maybelline LMU
  • Smashbox Concealer
  • Cosmetic Wedges
  • Powder Brush
  • Foundation Brush
  • SMB Top Zip Shave

Total: $119.15 on cosmetics and $9.99 on beauty products

According to an order paper by Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis, Flaherty is the only minister to report make up costs on taxpayers.

Flaherty isn’t the only one using taxpayer money for make up, Stephen Harper charges us for his makeup artist Michelle Muntean but the cost hasn’t been revealed as of yet.

With belts tightening and frustration mounting, it remains to be seen how future photo-ops will fair for Conservatives when they attack seniors, one of the main voting groups that assured them their majority government.

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