Councillors billed taxpayers for tickets to outdoor NHL game

Four Ottawa city councillors each bought a pair of tickets for themselves and a guest to attend the NHL 100Classic at TD Place last month, then handedthe $1,700 bill over to taxpayers.

The outdoor hockey game between the victorious Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens marked the NHL'scentennial and was a much-anticipated event that capped a year-long celebration for Canada's 150thanniversary.

The Dec.16 game was sold out, but in Junecouncillors were offered a chance to buy full-price ticketsbefore they went on sale to the general public.

Four of them took up the offer:

• Kanata South Coun. Allan Hubley, who spent $355 on a ticket for himself and an unnamed guest.
• InnesCoun. Jody Mitic, who spent $553 (including PST) on a ticket for himself and a guest, although he didn't attend.
• Gloucester-South NepeanCoun. Michael Qaqish, who spent $409 on a ticket for himself and C. Vergette.
• Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney, who spent $409 on a ticket for himself and J. Tierney.

The spendingfor Qaqish and Tierney appeared on the September public disclosure of councillors' office expenses posted on the City of Ottawa's website.

The information for Hubley'spurchase appeared in lastAugust's statements the expenses appear in the same month that the councillor's office files them however he did not name the person he took to the game, as required by the city's rules on disclosure.

CBCcontacted all 24 members of council on Monday about whether they attended the NHL game. Almost everyone responded, except for Hubley, Qaqishand Tierney. None of the three councillors in question who CBCemailed several times and telephonedhave offered any comment about why they believe buying hockey tickets is a good use of public money, nor have they confirmed who their guests were.

Of the councillorswho went to the game, onlyRideau-GoulbournCoun. Scott Moffatt attended without expensing the tickets. Afriend who works at CIBC, a major sponsorof the city's 150 celebrations, invited Moffatt a few daysbefore.

Councillorseach earnmore than $100,000 and have annual office budgets of about $250,000. Elected officials are free to spend their budgets on a wide array of items, including events. However, they don't usually buy tickets for themselves to professional sports events with public funds.

Sports commissioner didn't attend

Mitic's tickets, which he paid for last November, have not appeared in expense reports, which have only been posted up to last September.

By email, Mitictold CBChe bought two tickets to attend the game in his capacity as sports commissioner, but when he discovered there were no accessible seats left, he gave the tickets to staffers.

The Dec. 16 game also came days after Miticsaid he would be taking time off to deal with addiction issues.

Although it might make sense that someone with the title of "sports commissioner" be at the game, that role is primarily defined as working on and winning sports bids for the city.

As well, it was largely Mayor Jim Watson and his office that did the heavy lifting onlobbying for the NHL to bring an outdoor game to Ottawa, arguing that it should be played at Lansdowne'sTD Place after efforts to play the game on the lawn of Parliament Hill were nixed.

Mayor accepted tickets but didn't go

While it appears neither the NHLnor the Senators tried to offer councillors free tickets, the elected officials would not have been allowed to accept them anyway. Under city rules, politicians cannot accept gifts from any person or company that has an open lobbying file, which the Ottawa Senators do for the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats.

But Watson was allowed to accept two tickets from the Senators. Because the mayor has a larger representational role in the city than an individual councillor, the integrity commissioner granted Watson an exemption.

In the end,an emergency appendectomy in mid-December prevented Watsonfrom attending the game. Instead, according to his office, the mayor gave the tickets to his sister, Jayne Watson, who is the CEOof the National Arts CentreFoundation.

However, the integrity commissioner did allow councillors to accept free tickets to the Grey Cup final, which took place at TD Place a month before the NHLgame.