G8, G20 cost 1Billion

[Smallc]

I think it would depend what their role would be...air surveilence...maritime security...bomb depsosal...

They'll have at least two of those roles in the present context.

[Topaz]

The following articles tells how some of the money is spent and how much was spent up in the Yukon, when Harper the "rich and famous politicans" dined G8 and G20. I get the feeling the Tories love to party, at our expense. http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/06/01/14217671.html

[nicky10013]

I would not want to use the Army or any military personnel for civilian crowd control within Canada. This is why we have police forces and the RCMP.

What's the difference? The police for these things are just as heavily armed. There is going to be an overwhelming presence of force so why not go for the cheapest option.

[Smallc]

What's the difference? The police for these things are just as heavily armed. There is going to be an overwhelming presence of force so why not go for the cheapest option.

Because having the military in city streets outside of an emergency is unsettling to most people. People are accustomed to seeing police officers...not so much with soldiers.

[YEGmann]

What's the difference? The police for these things are just as heavily armed. There is going to be an overwhelming presence of force so why not go for the cheapest option.

Very bad idea! The difference is huge. The army exist to fight wars for the country against external enemies. Soldiers are trained to fight and kill and are ready to be killed. This is their spirit.

Using them against their own families will put their morale down. Especially as you say them you use them because they are (you think so) cheap. How would you react if somebody called you are the cheapest junk? For them it would be a spit in the face.

Plus police are simply much better trained for these particular purposes. With army guys you take a risk to screw the business up.

Edited June 4, 2010 by YEGmann

[ironstone]

The cost of hosting these mostly useless summits is indeed outrageous.And the protesters,who will of course use violence to make their point(whatever it is)are by and large,left wingers.No Tea Party types here.

[eyeball]

The cost of hosting these mostly useless summits is indeed outrageous.And the protesters,who will of course use violence to make their point(whatever it is)are by and large,left wingers.No Tea Party types here.

Why not, what the Hell's the matter with these people anyway?

[maple_leafs182]

well I am going to protest. I won't use violence but I understand why people turn to violence, voices of violence will always be heard, look at 9/11.

I don't support anything our world leaders are doing, they aren't trying to help us or make life better for us.

[g_bambino]

The Washington Post reports that Washington has spent at least $500 million renovating the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay since 2001... It's a "money pit" says newser.com.

Money pit? At least they got a volleyball court. Ottawa is at $1.1 billion and counting for its 3-day G20 summit, and so far all we've got are some concrete barriers.

G20 to cost equivalent of two Guantanamos

Indeed. And I can only imagine what'll be left behind when it's over.

Still, the whole thing has me oddly excited. I'm waiting to see from my window here clouds of tear gas billowing up from between the downtown towers!

[PIK]

Soldiers with guns patrolling our streets, remember that commercial.

[waldo]

fake fiscal conservatism... rightly deserves a 'fake lake'!

Fake Muskoka costs real bucks - Plan to take the great outdoors indoors for global media more than a little loony

Canadian and international journalists covering the G8 summit in Muskoka later this month will be able to file their reports from the leisurely comfort of a cottage dock, their feet dangling in the water, surrounded by the stunning sights and sounds of the fabled Ontario resort country three hours north of Toronto.

The only catch is they won’t be anywhere near Muskoka.

Instead, the federal government is shelling out millions of dollars to re-create cottage country — complete with a small lake — inside a Toronto convention facility that will warehouse most of the media during the three-day windfest.

Your tax dollars at work.

It is all another stunning achievement by organizers of the great Canadian summits of squander, three days of hot air and tear gas that will cost taxpayers an estimated $1.2 billion and counting.

Name That Lake! ... naming the lake, "Harper's Folly"... clearly, polling #1

[nicky10013]

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/820221--fake-lake-hits-bottom?bn=1

Best quote goes to city councillor Adam Vaughn

“If it wasn’t so serious, it would be hysterically funny,” Vaughan told the Star’s Robyn Doolittle. “The federal government refuses to compensate the businesses in my ward for damages, yet they’ll build a $2 million fake lake — across from a real lake. As far as I’m concerned, they can jump in that lake.”

[August1991]

This sad "hilarious" saga has me enraged, livid. $1 billion is about $35 from each Canadian. A family of four is forking over $140 for this summit.

Everyone on this forum knows that I generally support the Conservative Party but if an election were held today, I would not vote for Stephen Harper's party. I did not support and vote for the Conservatives for this kind of budget choice. My tax dollars should be spent elsewhere than limos/security for foreign politicians/bureaucrats.

In crass political terms, how can Stephen Harper now go before the Canadian public and with a straight face defend a federal spending cut of a $300,000 subsidy to a local cultural group but accept that he spent $1 billion on politicians.

This is the galling fact. Politicians and bureaucrats are spending taxpayer money for themselves, other politicians and bureaucrats. I think the French Revolution started because of such nonsense.

----

Who do I blame for this fiasco? Well, first the bureaucrats. Bureaucrats are like wives of wealthy men. They love spending other people's money. Bureaucrats do it to cover themselves but also because many just like doing it. They feel important. (The Toronto Police are getting a big chunk of this $1 billion.) I would hate to see the invoices that will cross some admin desks in the next few months.

Second, I blame Tony Clement, and Stephen Harper for not having tighter control over Clement. Harper may well lose Sussex Drive because he let Clement do all this. I cannot believe that Harper didn't know this.

----

If Ignatieff had any sense, he would vote non-confidence on the omnibus budget bill and force an election now. This issue will gain traction and destroys Harper's credibility. Second, Ignatieff has nothing to lose at this point anyway.

[eyeball]

Everyone on this forum knows that I generally support the Conservative Party but if an election were held today, I would not vote for Stephen Harper's party.

What a liar.

I can just see you now in the polling booth - you'd be like Fletcher crying "The pen is blue, the pen is blue, the goddamn pen is blue!"

[Smallc]

If an election where held today, I'd definitely vote Conservative. Harper has proven he is able to be a good manager...even if he seemingly hates our political system. As far as I'm concerned, there currently is no other option.

[August1991]

If an election where held today, I'd definitely vote Conservative. Harper has proven he is able to be a good manager...even if he seemingly hates our political system. As far as I'm concerned, there currently is no other option.

How can you approve his spending this money on this summit? What conclusion would Harper (or other politicians) conclude if he was re-elected?

I don't know know about you smallc, but I want politicians who spend tax money wisely and frugally. When politicians don't do this, I punish them at the ballot box.

IMHO, $1 billion for a three day summit is a waste of my tax money.

----

And in a purely political sense, Harper has lost absolutely all credibility when he says that cuts to cultural groups or other government handouts are based on reducing government spending.

Harper just spent a billion dollars on himself, other politicians and an army of government bureaucrats.

He has absolutely no credibilty anymore when it comes to government budget cuts, or the management of government spending. And this was Stephen Harper's sole claim to fame.

IMHO, Stephen Harper's political career is over. (He may not know it but Tony Clement and several Ottawa bureaucrats killed his ambitions.) If I were Jim Prentice, I'd be planning a leadership drive about now.

Edited June 8, 2010 by August1991

[Smallc]

How can you approve his spending this money on this summit?

It's our turn...and he didn't make the security planning decisions himself.

I don't know know about you smallc, but I want politicians who spend tax money wisely and frugally. When politicians don't do this, I punish them at the ballot box.

IMHO, $1 billion for a three day summit is a waste of my tax money.

I'd rather we keep the many heads of state and government safe while they're here, myself. The planners believe that this level of spending is necessary. That's all I really need to know for now. I'll find out what the AG thinks later.

[kimmy]

I still can't wrap my head around this. I still think "heist" is the only reasonable explanation.

I need -- NEED -- to know that Sheila Fraser is going to have free reign to look at these expenses as closely as she wishes.

-k

[August1991]

I'd rather we keep the many heads of state and government safe while they're here, myself. The planners believe that this level of spending is necessary. That's all I really need to know for now. I'll find out what the AG thinks later.

You know and I know that it doesn'y cost $1 billion to keep these guys safe.

Let's say that we could do it for $600 million.

Well, how can Stephen Harper answer cultural groups in Quebec that suffer because they lose a $30,000 federal grant because of budget cuts - yet he spent $1 billion, not $600 million, on a meeting for politicians/bureaucrats.

Smallc, you don't live in the same political universe as me but if I were Stepehn Harper, I'd be facing some very ugly poll numbers in the next few weeks.

[Smallc]

You know and I know that it doesn'y cost $1 billion to keep these guys safe.

I don't know that, and neither do you.

Smallc, you don't live in the same political universe as me but if I were Stepehn Harper, I'd be facing some very ugly poll numbers in the next few weeks.

I sometimes doubt that we live in the same universe.

[DrGreenthumb]

I don't know that, and neither do you.

I sometimes doubt that we live in the same universe.

Anyone who would vote Conservative after this kind of un-Conservative money wasting, deserves to spend an hour at the bottom of "Harper's Folly" with no scuba gear or snorkel.

[Argus]

I still can't wrap my head around this. I still think "heist" is the only reasonable explanation.

I need -- NEED -- to know that Sheila Fraser is going to have free reign to look at these expenses as closely as she wishes.

-k

According to Don Martin, Kevin Paige, the parliamentary budget officer, who is no friend of the Tories, has been looking into this at the request of the NDP, is about to issue a report, and has found nothing out of line.

[Argus]

fake fiscal conservatism... rightly deserves a 'fake lake'!

Name That Lake! ... naming the lake, "Harper's Folly"... clearly, polling #1

News out is the $1.9 million cost is not for the lake, but the cost for the entire media centre to house some 3,000 journalists.

[Argus]

On CTV's Question Period yesterday, Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety attended to answer questions about the billion dollar bill. When asked why the government is using RCMP instead of the army, which is much cheaper and costs no overtime compared to the RCMP, the minister answered that the government was afraid of Liberal attack ads about troops in the streets. The host then asked, "so basically what you're saying is your charging the taxpayers a couple hundred million dollars extra because you're afraid of what the Liberals might say?" To which there was no response.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/fear-of-liberal-advertising-to-blame-for-billion-dollar-g20-tab/article1586428/

Soldiers should rarely be used in situations where they could be interacting with civilians. They're not trained in crowd control. They're trained to kill people. They're not trained in law regarding just how much applicable force is acceptable in various situations. The police are.

[Oleg Bach]

HOW COME THE RICH AND POWERFUL GET TO USE OUR MONEY AND WE DO NOT GET ACCESS TO THEIR MONEY WHICH IS OUR MONEY? Ever get the feeling that we live on one huge estate and we are the surfs..."Tell the peasants that my guest is about to arrive in a couple of weeks - tell them to bring me their gold as tribute...so as I can impress my guest."

Jeeezzzz! Why do WE have to spend so much money on these guys - is it to show them that our business elite own us ? What's wrong with getting a few cop cars and some security types and just take them up to the cottage and show them the real Canada? You could do it for a million plus...I suggest that if you want to impress the G8 and G20 boys - get down and get down home..show that that you are fiscally responsible and conservative - take them for a walk in the woods and for some skinny dipping at night..maybe get them drunk..or take them sailing ---- forget this crap..

Times have changed and if the Canadian business community wants to impress them..show them that we are not like a bunch of tin pot dictators - what's next...forced dancing in the streets and bowing to the King? Really -

TAKE THEM TO THE COTTAGE AND HAVE A CHAT...HOW EXPENSIVE COULD THAT BE?

This is to show the other bullies that they are bullies also - this is bad PR and does not teach the world anything - it is so gangsta! This is extortion - we are better than that - this is an opportunity to do something different..something positive...The guys here at Mapleleafweb would show them a better time..and all it would cost is a few cases of scotch...and the charm of our delightful daughters...these guys do not know how to enjoy themselves and will leave feeling miserable and powerful because they extorted a few billion out of us - kiss my ass.