The Apple iPad was voted as one of the hottest gadgets of 2010 and our MPs wanted in on the action. Members of Parliament apparently use tablet devices in the House of Commons during Question Period and 308 MPs wanted us taxpayers to dish out the cash and get them all iPads. The price of the iPad starts at $549 – so multiply this by 308 it would cost $169,092 (not including taxes). The Board of Internal Economy ruled back in a November (but was disclosed today) that “After discussion, the board agreed not to allow the purchase of iPads as an expense against the member’s office budget”.
This is good news but it’s not because the board didn’t find the need for the iPad. According to Liberal MP Marcel Proulx it was because “The House system is totally based on Microsoft… If I was to call the Hill help desk and say I have a problem with my iPad, they’d say ‘Too bad for you. We don’t know anything about iPads. “Everybody is on the Microsoft infrastructure.”
MPs are currently discouraged to purchase anything Apple so many use of them have resorted to purchase the iPad themselves.
Source: Globe
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