Treasury Board President Tony Clement is defending the government’s more than $2.3 million tab to photograph cabinet ministers, saying the photos are part of the government’s obligation to communicate with Canadians.

“The government of Canada has an obligation to communicate with the public and we take our responsibilities to taxpayers very seriously in this regard,” he told the House of Commons.

Clement’s comments came after Liberal MP Mark Eyking went on the attack during question period, following the revelation by iPolitics of just how much Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government has been spending on professional photographers to take photos of ministerial announcements and events. Since it came to power, it has commissioned photographers to record more than 2,483 events and spent at least $2.3 million.

The government is spending a quarter of a million dollars on average each year. That amount jumped 68 per cent to nearly $500,000 in the year leading up to the 2011 federal election, fuelled by a 38 per cent increase in the number of photo ops.

However, the $2.3 million in spending revealed by the government may be just the tip of the iceberg. The 686 pages of figures quietly tabled in the House of Commons in response to an order paper question have significant gaps, often missing entire years.

They also do not include the cost of staff photographers such as those at the Department of National Defence or the prime minister’s three official photographers.

During question period, Eyking took aim at the government’s priorities and the $118,200 the government spent photographing veterans affairs ministers.

“The money spent by Conservatives on vanity photographers could have kept the Veterans Affairs office in Cape Breton open,” charged Eyking, MP for Sydney-Victoria. “Why are photos of themselves more important than the Cape Breton veterans?”

While Clement has presided over a tough belt-tightening exercise that has slashed government spending and jobs, the revelations by iPolitics raise significant questions about the government’s policy – or lack of policy – when it comes to shelling out for photos of Conservative cabinet ministers.

Patterns of spending often change significantly when one minister replaces another. For example, when Shelly Glover replaced James Moore in Canadian Heritage, spending on photographing the minister rose 412 per cent in one year.

The figures also show the government appears to be paying a wide range of different rates to photograph ministers – from $75 for one event in the Maritimes to more than $13,000 to photograph former Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird at the United Nations.

Clement’s office said he was not available for an interview and did not respond to questions about what the government’s policy is when it comes to spending money on ministerial photos.

In a statement, however, spokeswoman Heather Domereckyj echoed Clement’s comments in the House.

“It is the responsibility of the government to communicate with Canadians on important programs and services that are available to them. Photographs during major announcements help to inform Canadians about important issues such as time-limited stimulus measures, tax credits and public health issues.”

“Our government treats taxpayers’ money with the utmost respect and we require that government business be done at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers. Our government will continue to move forward with measures to increase accountability and transparency, and to protect taxpayers’ money.”

Domreckyj did not say, however, how the government plans to increase accountability and protect taxpayers’ money when it comes to taking pictures of politicians.

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