OTTAWA—High-flying bureaucrats expecting Canadians to pick up their bar tabs at conferences and social get-togethers are being reined in as part of federal government's effort to trim Canada's whopping $45.5 billion deficit.

Treasury Board president Stockwell Day said Wednesday that for the first time these kinds of expenses will be made public along with new guidelines about where and when public servants can tipple on the taxpayer's dime, among other things.

“We want to control expenses related to hospitality, conferencing and travelling,” Day told reporters, noting it was Auditor General Sheila Fraser who shone a light on hospitality expenses.

The new guidelines will not affect MPs, who can still stick taxpayers with their booze bills under the guise of hospitality.

Critics jumped on Day's announcement, calling it a nickel and dime solution to tackling the largest deficit in Canada's history, which Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said is the result of Conservatives spending money like “drunken sailors,” including more than $1 billion on the G8-G20

“Mr. Day thinks he can nickel and dime his way out of this exploding deficit,” NDP MP Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre) said.

Day said Fraser found examples of a reception that cost $31,500 or more than $100 a head; dinners that cost more than $1,500 for only 10 to 12 people and a farewell for a public servant that cost $7,200.

“When you see items like that you say to yourself ... if these were the ones that she highlighted, are there more? And is there more that could be done?”

The minister said it is impossible to tell how much alcohol was consumed since there haven't been proper reporting procedures in place.

“Previously there were only general principles applied to keeping the cost down on conferencing, hosting and travel,” he said.

Day, however, could not explain how much savings will be realized from the decision to “maintain a lid” on hospitality, travel and conferences at 2009 levels for the next three years.

Critics said Day's so-called get tough routine was laughable since the hospitality bill in his own department has doubled since the Conservatives came to power in 2006.

The new cost cutting measures include:

Ensuring that department spending on travel, hospitality and conferences is reported each year;

Ensuring that annual budgets in these area are approved by deputy ministers; and

Restricting all spending on alcohol to situations necessary for protocol, diplomacy or appropriate business with outside stakeholders.

Day acknowledged that up until now there was no one in the various government departments to authorize hospitality, conferences or travel “and now there will be specific accountabilities assigned to individuals.”

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

These same guidelines will apply to ministers' offices as well, he said.

“With the global economy still fragile, Canadian families are taking a hard look at their expenses, setting priorities and making tough decisions. They expect the government to do the same.”

Day said while public servants have a “high-degree of professionalism,” they need guidelines to follow.