What did MKs spend millions on in 2009?
Knesset report on MKs' public communication budget spending habits shows money spent on laptops, refrigerators, air conditioners and more. Yisrael Beiteinu MK Lia Shemtov 2009's biggest spender, using up NIS 95,116 last year
Professional counseling, websites, laptops, PR conferences, secretary services and transporting and installing air-conditioners – this is what members of Israel's parliament have been doing with their public communication budgets, an annual report published by the Knesset on Monday showed.
According to the report, in total, the MKs spent millions of shekels last year from the annual budget allotted to them meant to cover the cost of expenses related to maintaining communication with the general public. But there were also some thrifty ones among them: Ministers Ehud Barak and Benny Begin did not spend a single shekel from the budget allotted to them.
MK Lia Shemtov (Yisrael Beiteinu) holds the record in expenses this year, since she has funds remaining from her public communication budget in previous years. The MK spent a total of NIS 95,116 ($25,179).
The Yisrael Beiteinu MK spent some NIS 32,000 ($8,400) on professional counseling, around NIS 25,000 ($6,600) on secretary services, roughly NIS 17,000 ($4,500) on renting out a parliamentary office, some NIS 2,700 ($714) on refreshments, and around NIS 1,500 ($400) on printing and photocopying documents.
Hadash MK Hanna Swaid came in second, with expenses totaling NIS 67,603 ($17,900). He spent over NIS 16,000 ($4,200) in mobile phone expenses, NIS 11,600 ($3,000) on a website, and around NIS 5,300 ($1,400) on the purchase, transport and installment of an air conditioning system.
MK Yoel Hasson of Kadima spent a total of NIS 66,249 ($17,500). He spent NIS 9,000 ($2,300) on professional counseling, NIS 1,511 ($400) on a digital camera, and NIS 599 ($158) on a mini refrigerator.
MK Amir Peretz (Labor) spent NIS 66,182 ($17,500) of his public communication budget - some NIS 20,000 ($5,300) of which went toward secretary services.
Livni bought 4 laptops
What else did MKs spend the money on? Opposition leader MK Tzipi Livni purchased four laptops for the total amount of NIS 17,553 ($4,600), while MK Shaul Mofaz only spent NIS 4,540 ($1,200) on portable computers.MK Ronit Tirosh (Kadima) spent some NIS 14,000 ($3,700) on newspapers and NIS 2,477 ($655) on office supplies. Her fellow party member MK Ruhama Avraham-Balila spent NIS 13,400 ($3,500) on professional and strategic counseling, and MK Uri Orbach spent NIS 19,000 ($5,000) on professional counseling.
Likud members didn't hold back either. Minister Silvan Shalom spent some NIS 20,000 ($5,300) on a "PR conference" and Minister Gideon Saar spent NIS 24,000 ($6,300) on a similar conference.
MK Danny Danon bought an office refrigerator at the cost of NIS 950 ($251) and Yisrael Beiteinu MK Moshe Matalon spent NIS 1,500 ($400) on a laser fax machine.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent a total of NIS 14,887 ($3,900), out of which NIS 4,419 ($1,160) went towards refreshments.
The Knesset stressed that the data in the report include funds paid by the Knesset in 2009 for MKs' purchases out of their approved budgets.
The yearly budget per MK is NIS 49,000 (1$2,900). If the MK has an external parliamentary office the budget stands at NIS 68,000 ($18,000).
The Knesset added that the reason payments exceeding the approved budget of NIS 49,000 can be found in the report is that it included receipts from the end of 2008, which were paid during 2009 and were therefore included in the current report.
