HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s spending allowance scandal has claimed the political career of one of its central figures with the resignation of veteran Tory Richard Hurlburt, who admitted buying a generator and big-screen television at public expense.
The news broke abruptly Tuesday in a short news release from the Conservative party on behalf of Hurlburt, who is vacationing in Florida and unavailable for comment.
In a news conference following a caucus meeting, interim party leader Karen Casey explained that Hurlburt made a personal decision that she accepted.
Hurlburt, a former Conservative cabinet minister, was widely criticized after the province’s auditor general released a report last week that showed he spent $7,995 in public money on a generator that was installed in his home.
He initially defended the purchase as a valid expense, saying it could used in emergencies by a nearby seniors’ home and for ground search and rescue teams. He later apologized and said he had reimbursed taxpayers.