Brian Jean is on the defensive about the thousands of dollars that has been spent on MP mailouts. Over the weekend Don Scott, the Advanced Education Minister, leveled accusations of hypocrisy against Jean. In a statement that Scott sent out there is a claim that MP mailouts during Jeans time as an MP have totaled $138,637.59 on printing alone. In the years from 2008 and 2014 an average of $62,360.12 was spent on the cost of printing. Scott stated “Brian Jean talks about being a fiscal conservative but billed taxpayers for almost half-a-million dollars for printing while he was the MP for this region.” Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation Alberta director Derek Fildrebrandt wrote a 2010 blog post which called this type of spending a wasteful entitlement for MPs.

The statement by Scott about the MP mailouts by Brian Jean also ridiculed a mailout in 2013 which included crossword puzzle that had questions about Jean’s personal life and career. Scott explained “Brian talks a good game but doesn’t hesitate to spend endlessly to promote himself. This community deserves somebody who treats their tax dollars with respect.” Jean fought back against the criticism, explaining that the crossword puzzle was an attempt to engage voters in Wood Buffalo and get them involved in the political process. “Voter apathy in Fort McMurray has long been an issue and we need to be thinking of new ways to connect with constituents.” Jean also stated “What I’m hearing from Albertans is they want us to focus on our five priorities and our fiscal plan. People are concerned with record levels of taxes and debt brought forward by the PCs and my sole focus is to provide an alternative to this government.”