With their debate on Power & Politics having fallen through, Guy Giorno — Stephen Harper’s former chief of staff — took to Facebook again Thursday to address Conservative MP and leadership candidate Brad Trost’s continued attacks on his relocation expenses.

Speaking in the House of Commons foyer Wednesday, where Giorno suspects Trost has immunity, Trost reiterated that he believes Giorno was the only Harper government staffer who “charged a high amount of money over, what, nine years in government”.

“Again, he didn’t do anything ethically wrong. Positive he was within the rules in what he did. But the thing is, as a Conservative, we have to do better. And that’s what he should have realized. Maybe it was by accident he did it, but he still should do better than the Liberals,” Trost said.

In his latest lengthy Facebook rebuttal, Giorno details all Trost’s “generous perqs” as an MP and how his making use of those makes it hypocritical for him now to “impose one morality” and “practise another” — particularly since many public servants take a pay cut (and here Giorno includes himself) when they leave the private sector.

Along the way, Giorno suggests that Trost’s annual MP salary of $170,400 is far more than he could earn outside Parliament and notes that Trost sees no problem expensing even the most trivial amount of money — like a $2.60 purchase at Dollarama in January.

Giorno’s full post is below:

“I had intended not to comment on this issue any more, but yesterday Brad Trost attacked me again, this time from the foyer of the House of Commons where arguably he has immunity for what he says.

“It is important to put the issue in context. Brad Trost collects a salary of $170,400 per year. This is more than three times the average Canadian wage. But more important is the fact that Mr. Trost, like many in Parliament, has drawn a larger salary as an MP than he ever earned in the private sector. When he leaves politics his market value will surely be much lower than his current tax-funded take.

“In short, working in Ottawa has increased Brad Trost’s income and financial security. This is aside from the generous perqs enjoyed only by MPs and by no other Canadian in either the public sector or the private sector.

“On the other hand, both times that I left the private sector for government, I took a significant pay cut. I don’t bemoan that fact.

“I am not complaining. It’s about public service and I made a conscious choice. Many others, including many of the current public servants whose relocation expenses are being questioned by Brad Trost, have also taken significant pay cuts.

“This is relevant context. Mr. Trost, who sits in Parliament collecting a bigger pay cheque than he ever earned outside, or ever could earn outside, is comparing himself to people who absorbed significant income losses to leave the private sector. Mr. Trost, who like most MPs enjoys higher income through public service, is telling public servants who already sacrificed financially they need to sacrifice more.

“It’s one thing to accept a pay cut. It is another to lose money on the relocation. Mr. Trost’s position is that, in addition to taking a big salary cut, government employees, like I was, should lose money when relocating. If relocation costs $35,000 then an employee should pay $5,000 personally. That’s his public position.

“He is entitled to his opinion, but it is pretty rich when you consider that MPs like Brad Trost never do likewise. Brad Trost doesn’t have to pay personally for the expenses of public office, but has no problem telling others to dig into their own funds.

“He collected a big pay raise to work in Ottawa, and is telling those who accepted pay cuts to pay personally for costs associated with government service. His travel and accommodation are paid for by taxpayers, so relocation is not an issue for him, but he is judging those who don’t enjoy travel and accommodation perqs and therefore need to relocate. He is entitled to expense the most trivial amount, and he does (like $2.60 at Dollarama, Jan. 8/16), but he is telling other public servants we need to pay expenses out of our own pockets.

“One news report said I want Brad Trost to pay back his expenses. I’ve never said that. What I have said is that he preaches one thing while applying a different standard to himself.

“A lot of Canadians are tired of politicians who want to impose one morality on us, but practise another. I know that I am.”