Tories poured cash into rich West: Taxpayers' report

[jdobbin]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090422/...es_western_cash

An exhaustive Access to Information search by the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation found that the Tories have funded everything from flagpoles to school murals.

It's all been handled under the Western Economic Diversification fund, which has paid out more than $440 million across the four western provinces since the Conservatives came to power in January 2006.

Before becoming prime minister, Stephen Harper railed against regional subsidies.

Well, I can't say that this is surprising.

What is annoying is that none of the spending in very transparent and that you have to jump through hoops to find it.

[Cameron]

Table 1 – WED Assistance, 1987 to 2008

Total Approved ($) Total Grants ($) % Grants Total Loans ($) % Loans

1986-87 16,583,191 10,926,060 65.9% 5,657,131 34.1%

1987-88 87,267,414 78,707,108 90.2% 8,560,307 9.8%

1988-89 109,468,009 39,160,396 35.8% 70,307,612 64.2%

1989-90 158,119,208 30,255,524 19.1% 127,863,684 80.9%

1990-91 148,924,136 44,369,446 29.8% 104,554,690 70.2%

1991-92 122,348,372 37,502,322 30.7% 84,846,050 69.3%

1992-93 154,462,540 30,344,160 19.6% 124,118,380 80.4%

1993-94 90,735,288 21,278,975 23.5% 69,456,313 76.5%

1994-95 613,339,023 559,841,047 91.3% 53,497,975 8.7%

1995-96 361,728,781 291,376,043 80.6% 70,352,738 19.4%

1996-97 94,523,956 65,622,438 69.4% 28,901,518 30.6%

1997-98 260,550,962 247,457,342 95.0% 13,093,620 5.0%

1998-99 122,104,433 110,881,924 90.8% 11,222,509 9.2%

1999-00 113,597,020 109,327,331 96.2% 4,269,689 3.8%

2000-01 500,749,198 483,275,601 96.5% 17,473,598 3.5%

2001-02 284,685,940 283,460,940 99.6% 1,225,000 0.4%

2002-03 79,537,133 78,345,685 98.5% 1,191,448 1.5%

2003-04 143,109,070 139,601,570 97.5% 3,507,500 2.5%

2004-05 99,259,855 98,599,185 99.3% 660,670 0.7%

2005-06 292,638,287 290,273,155 99.2% 2,365,132 0.8%

2006-07 168,148,666 159,215,666 94.7% 8,933,000 5.3%

2007-08 195,303,377 195,240,877 100.0% 62,500 0.0%

2008-09 58,502,894 46,849,244 80.1% 11,653,650 19.9%

Totals $4,275,686,752 $3,451,912,040 80.7% $823,774,713 19.3%

Source: CTF Report - PDF

Once again, garbage reporting and selective choices by the media.

You get the benefit of the doubt this time Dobbin because the article was shit.

Edited April 23, 2009 by Cameron

[Cameron]

Also according to the report, BC is the largest beneficiary of funds since the inception of the fund.

Edited April 23, 2009 by Cameron

[Cameron]

Spending + Elections chart

Source: The report in my previous post.

Edited April 23, 2009 by Cameron

[Michael Hardner]

Democracy 2.0 angle - is there an online database where we can query for results on our own ?

[Argus]

Once again, garbage reporting and selective choices by the media.

You get the benefit of the doubt this time Dobbin because the article was shit.

But it's part of the Liberal stategy to portray the tories as outsiders, as (gag) westerners, who are, of course, not real Canadians, and only care about Western Canada.

[Topaz]

It seems that Canada can't find a PM that will be fair to ALL Canadians and provinces. We get a PM from the East and the West complains about their treatment and now we have a PM from the EAST and the West is saying the same thing. I read Harper's bio. and I knew he would be getting money into the west to make up for what the West thought was abuse from former governments. Harper is for himself, and Alberta first and that kind of PM can't be allowed to be PM. We need a PM to bring Canada together not divide like Harper has tried to do.

[jdobbin]

But it's part of the Liberal stategy to portray the tories as outsiders, as (gag) westerners, who are, of course, not real Canadians, and only care about Western Canada.

This report was done by the Canadian Taxpayer's Federation. You think it is their strategy to support the Liberals or shed light on a program that is not exactly transparent?

Edited April 24, 2009 by jdobbin

[Jack Weber]

This report was done by the Canadian Taxpayer's Federation. You think it is there strategy to support the Liberals or shed light on a program that is not exactly transparent?

Precisely...The only kookier right wing "Think Tank" that could have been chozen would have been the National Ctizens Coaltion...It looks like our "Economist in a Tank" might have some 'splainin' to do!

[Cameron]

The report spares NO ONE. It is non-bias, it lays out the facts. It poops on Liberals and Conservatives.

[Borg]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090422/...es_western_cash

Well, I can't say that this is surprising.

What is annoying is that none of the spending in very transparent and that you have to jump through hoops to find it.

About time

For the past 60 years or so the lion's share has gone to kebec - time we spent s few bucks in other parts of the country

At least it will be appreciated there

Borg

[jdobbin]

About time

For the past 60 years or so the lion's share has gone to kebec - time we spent s few bucks in other parts of the country

At least it will be appreciated there

Harper was once opposed to Western Diversification. It looks like a lot of people on the right have changed their minds on that.

[Smallc]

kebec

[Hydraboss]

Borg,

Please use the correct pronounciation of the name. Smallc hates when you do it wrong.

It's Kwebek. You forgot the "w".

[noahbody]

It seems that Canada can't find a PM that will be fair to ALL Canadians and provinces.

How exactly do you come to that conclusion looking at this data?

[Smallc]

It's Kwebek.

[waldo]

kebec

It's Kwebek. You forgot the "w".

referring to you as "dumb" and "dumber" is a term of endearment regardless of your continued pejorative intent

[Borg]

Waldo

Fact remains the money in the west is appreciated and well spent - no one there is buying votes to create a separate / keep a country together depending on who is in power - however if we could spend enough money to convince kwebec to leave I would be ready to increase my taxes.

In the long run we would end up saving money.

Have a good one

Borg

Edited April 25, 2009 by Borg

[Argus]

This report was done by the Canadian Taxpayer's Federation. You think it is their strategy to support the Liberals or shed light on a program that is not exactly transparent?

I'm sure the CTF has compiled similar reports on the amounts spent in Quebec and Ontario, but there's no way in hell you would bother to post something like that here because that doesn't suit your purposes - which, as I said, is to portray the Conservatives as illegitimate, as, in effect, foreign barbarians who need to be thrown out and replaced with nice, safe, patriotic Ontario and Quebec leaders.

[jdobbin]

I'm sure the CTF has compiled similar reports on the amounts spent in Quebec and Ontario, but there's no way in hell you would bother to post something like that here because that doesn't suit your purposes - which, as I said, is to portray the Conservatives as illegitimate, as, in effect, foreign barbarians who need to be thrown out and replaced with nice, safe, patriotic Ontario and Quebec leaders.

Nice try. I have posted CTF reports on spending in other provinces including Quebec and Ontario and have criticized a lot of it as wasteful. Your response then was that the Liberals did worse even though the CTF said that the Tories had nothing to brag about and often did worse.

[kimmy]

So.... just to summarize, the numbers show that since 2006 the funds going into Western Economic Diversification have remained steady... and this becomes "Tories Pour Cash into West!"?

-k {ok.}

[Argus]

Nice try. I have posted CTF reports on spending in other provinces including Quebec and Ontario and have criticized a lot of it as wasteful. Your response then was that the Liberals did worse even though the CTF said that the Tories had nothing to brag about and often did worse.

But I'm not a tory. I'm more anti-liberal than pro tory. So when I see you posting spin showing the Tories are doing - pretty much what you guys have been doing for thirty years - though apparently without the kickbacks - is hardly going to cause me to want to rush out and vote your party in.

Remember that everything you post here is designed to convince people to vote Liberal instead of Tory. "They're almost as bad as us" is not a convincing argument in that respect. And your continued attempts to show them as being too "pro-west" is quite frankly, disgusting. We don't have enough unity problems without you and your party trying to fan the flames of western alienation for political gain?

[jdobbin]

So.... just to summarize, the numbers show that since 2006 the funds going into Western Economic Diversification have remained steady... and this becomes "Tories Pour Cash into West!"?

Headline is directly from Canadian Press and was what the CTF led with in their news conference.

Harper had said he was going to dump regional development.

[jdobbin]

But I'm not a tory. I'm more anti-liberal than pro tory. So when I see you posting spin showing the Tories are doing - pretty much what you guys have been doing for thirty years - though apparently without the kickbacks - is hardly going to cause me to want to rush out and vote your party in.

However, Harper was adamant about getting rid of regional development. It would appear ending it never really entered his mind.

Remember that everything you post here is designed to convince people to vote Liberal instead of Tory. "They're almost as bad as us" is not a convincing argument in that respect. And your continued attempts to show them as being too "pro-west" is quite frankly, disgusting. We don't have enough unity problems without you and your party trying to fan the flames of western alienation for political gain?

Harper is the one who said he was going to end regional development. This is about his broken promise. This is about the spending that he found abhorrent when he was in opposition.

Harper has broken with the west by betraying his base. This isn't about being pro-west. It is showing contempt for the west by thinking that buying flagpoles and murals when the economy was booming makes any sense except a political one.

The Tories are the ones that have made national unity an issue again. Their divide and conquer strategy and contemptible move at stirring hatred aimed at Quebec has landed them squarely in the crosshairs in that province.

The Tories could have done a whole lot better if they had ended Western Diversification and simply used the money for tax decreases or an actual national investment program such as highways.

[Argus]

However, Harper was adamant about getting rid of regional development. It would appear ending it never really entered his mind.

I don't know. One thing is certain; it won't end under a Liberal government.

Harper is the one who said he was going to end regional development. This is about his broken promise. This is about the spending that he found abhorrent when he was in opposition.

Which you continue to support - although, of course, you hate that money is going to westerners.

The Tories are the ones that have made national unity an issue again. Their divide and conquer strategy and contemptible move at stirring hatred aimed at Quebec has landed them squarely in the crosshairs in that province.

The Liberal Party has ruled with the aid of a divide and conquer policy for decades, setting region against region, ethnic group against ethnic group, language against language. The Liberals created the national unity crisis, and continue to perpetuate it for their own political ends. Now they're trying to expand it, feeding the flames of resentment towards the West on the part of spoiled, sullen liberals from central Canada who are angry at not being in power.

If Quebec ever does separate it will be because of the Liberal Party.

If Alberta or some other western province does separate one day it will be because of the Liberal Party.

Edited April 26, 2009 by Argus