Canada’s foreign aid minister is resigning from politics after coming under fire for extravagant spending, including a $16 (10.1 pounds) dollar glass of orange juice in a luxury London hotel.<\/p>\n
Bev Oda, the minister for international cooperation, said in a statement on Tuesday that she advised Prime Minister Stephen Harper two weeks ago that she will step down as a member of Parliament on July 31.<\/p>\n
She gave no reason for her departure.<\/p>\n
“I am grateful for the support of the members of my staff and colleagues in the House of Commons and Senate. I wish to express my appreciation to the prime minister and his cabinet for their outstanding leadership,” she said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Harper, who was widely expected to demote Oda in his next cabinet shuffle, praised her work on humanitarian aid to various countries stricken by conflict or natural disasters.<\/p>\n
“Through Bev’s leadership, Canada has also met, ahead of schedule, its commitment to double aid to Africa. This is a record to be proud of,”
\nHarper said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Oda, first elected to Parliament in 2004, came under attack from the opposition after it emerged that she had upgraded from a five-star hotel to an even pricier one while attending a conference in London last year.<\/p>\n
Her travel expenses also included a 3,000 dollar limousine charge, but what seemed to resonate most with the public was a 16 dollar orange juice at taxpayers’ expense.<\/p>\n
Under pressure, Oda paid the extra expenses out of her own pocket.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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