AG Draft Report: G8 Funding Lacked Transparency

Rick · June 10, 2011

The people who rob banks say they're really sorry and won't let it happen again when they get caught too. That's hardly accountability.

But PM Pinnochio's promised not to do it again. He even pinky sweared it.

guyser · June 10, 2011

He didn't need to - he has comfortably won that riding every time.

15 votes is such a confortable win margin.

guyser · June 10, 2011

This was a pleasant surprise, yes. But what is your defence of the spending in Clement's riding?

I get to use a very nice bathroom when I am at the public beach on the weekend. Heck they even put a deck on the front of the washroom cuz ya know.....everyone likes hanging out on a deck of a public washroom...dont they?

Oh and we got some beautiful new granite steps at the community hall not to mention a new parking lot with lovely pavers.

Tony will get free ice cream for life because of it. Lord knows he eats enough of the stuff on his daily stroll thru town.There is not a more boring man in politics.

Shwa · June 10, 2011

Sounds like he's been funneling money, every time.

The Billion Dollar Boondock-le!!!

Molly · June 10, 2011

Tony will get free ice cream for life because of it. Lord knows he eats enough of the stuff on his daily stroll thru town.There is not a more boring man in politics.

I'm guessing he could be extremely interesting if Baird would let him vocalize a word.

Edited June 10, 2011 by Molly

guyser · June 10, 2011

I'm guessing he could be extremely interesting if Baird would let him vocalize a word.

Not to save his life.

Tony is dull with a capital D.

Dave_ON · June 10, 2011

Anybody have anything to say about budgeting for $1.1 billion but only spending a little over half of that? I know - they inflated their estimates so they would look good. Right.....and all the while, the opposition is saying they spent over a billion. And funnelling money into Clements' riding for "electoral" purposes? He didn't need to - he has comfortably won that riding every time. The Conservatives accepted to AG's findings, accepted the accountability for the "oversights" and said they'd do things better next time.

Oh come on KIS, are you honestly going to tell me that North Bay which is close to 100 k from the summit needed over 1 Million dollars to prepare for the G8? Are you honestly going to say that Clements didn't make hay with the G8 Funding? Presumably they landed in North bay and drove to Huntsville, and every small town and settlement between the two got a piece of the 50 Million pie. It's not that I have a problem with this, I just don't like when people make the CPC out to be saints in all this. The AG did say they mislead parliament, as if that's a surprise, about where/how the funds would be spent in the interests of expediency. This is precisely the kind of the things the LPC of yore used to do.

Liberal or Tory same old story.

guyser · June 10, 2011

Presumably they landed in North bay and drove to Huntsville, and every small town and settlement between the two got a piece of the 50 Million pie.

Dont think anyone of import landed there. All landed at Pearson and drove up, and back, from Huntsville.

Pretty sure North Bay is too samll a runway for leaders jets.

Now maybe the Military and press may have used it, as they did Bracebridge Mun Airport.

Smallc · June 10, 2011

Dont think anyone of import landed there. All landed at Pearson and drove up, and back, from Huntsville.

Flew actually. Most leaders flew on Canadian Forces helicopters, and POTUS flew on his own helicopter.

MiddleClassCentrist · June 10, 2011

The sad part is...

We pretty much knew this before...

And we still elected them.

Keepitsimple · June 10, 2011

Oh come on KIS, are you honestly going to tell me that North Bay which is close to 100 k from the summit needed over 1 Million dollars to prepare for the G8? Are you honestly going to say that Clements didn't make hay with the G8 Funding? Presumably they landed in North bay and drove to Huntsville, and every small town and settlement between the two got a piece of the 50 Million pie. It's not that I have a problem with this, I just don't like when people make the CPC out to be saints in all this. The AG did say they mislead parliament, as if that's a surprise, about where/how the funds would be spent in the interests of expediency. This is precisely the kind of the things the LPC of yore used to do.

Liberal or Tory same old story.

Actually no, I don't have any defence for all that money going into the Huntsville area. None at all. But I am really happy to see only a bit over 50% of the overal G8/20 budget used. There was half a BILLION dollars that was approved but not spent. When was the last time THAT was ever done in government?

Edited June 10, 2011 by Keepitsimple

RNG · June 10, 2011

Liberal or Tory same old story.

Nice start to a poem. Flesh it out and I see a Pulitzer in your future.

Keepitsimple · June 11, 2011

15 votes is such a confortable win margin.

You've got a teeny bit of a point. The first time he ran in 2006, he only won by 28 votes (my bad). In 2008, he won by 11,000 with 50% of the total vote to 25% for the runner up. There was never any doubt that he would win his seat again. In the last vote he won by 15,000 votes and had 55% of the total vote. "Funnelling" money into his riding - even though seemingly inappropriate - had nothing to do with trying to win his seat.

cybercoma · June 11, 2011

You've got a teeny bit of a point. The first time he ran in 2006, he only won by 28 votes (my bad). In 2008, he won by 11,000 with 50% of the total vote to 25% for the runner up. There was never any doubt that he would win his seat again. In the last vote he won by 15,000 votes and had 55% of the total vote. "Funnelling" money into his riding - even though seemingly inappropriate - had nothing to do with trying to win his seat.

To be honest, it doesn't matter what it had to do with, so the point is moot. It was an inappropriate use of taxpayers money without going through the proper channels. If it was an appropriate use, and it very well could have been, then it would have been approved by parliament. It's not for the government to decide on its own without consulting the taxpayers' representatives what to do with the taxpayers' money.

Edited June 11, 2011 by cybercoma

Molly · June 11, 2011

Actually no, I don't have any defence for all that money going into the Huntsville area. None at all. But I am really happy to see only a bit over 50% of the overal G8/20 budget used. There was half a BILLION dollars that was approved but not spent. When was the last time THAT was ever done in government?

That's the Trudeau gambit: leak something that's so over-the-top outrageous that it comletely enrages everyone, then, after some of the fireworks have blown, announce the real, somewhat less gawdawful truth---- then reap folk's relief that the original report isn't true, instead of their more appropriate outrage about an inexcuseable reality.

Folks bought it then, and it looks like they are buying it now, too.

Michael Hardner · June 11, 2011

Actually no, I don't have any defence for all that money going into the Huntsville area. None at all. But I am really happy to see only a bit over 50% of the overal G8/20 budget used. There was half a BILLION dollars that was approved but not spent. When was the last time THAT was ever done in government?

This is a new take on the "glass is 1/2 full" optimism: that billion dollars wasn't half-spent, it was half saved!

Sir Bandelot · June 11, 2011

This is a new take on the "glass is 1/2 full" optimism: that billion dollars wasn't half-spent, it was half saved!

It's not entirely new and is used frequently in corporate methods of "change management".

mentalfloss · June 11, 2011

Actually no, I don't have any defence for all that money going into the Huntsville area. None at all. But I am really happy to see only a bit over 50% of the overal G8/20 budget used. There was half a BILLION dollars that was approved but not spent. When was the last time THAT was ever done in government?

We spent $600 million on our G8/G20.

The French spent $30 million on theirs.

Comparatively, we spent the same on gazebos as they did on the entire summit.

Edited June 11, 2011 by mentalfloss

scribblet · June 11, 2011

This is a new take on the "glass is 1/2 full" optimism: that billion dollars wasn't half-spent, it was half saved!

But - they didn't spend a billion at all, is amount going to be used continuously even though it's wrong. Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette says it was 509.90 million.

I think we all agree it was too much.. did the French have both a G8 and a G20 for their 30 million ?

I also understand that the French used their military as well as security personnel, maybe next time Canada will do that, maybe we should've done it. Having said that, we know if Harper had authorized the use of military he would have been pilloried for 'soldiers on the streets' and all, even if it did save money.

Edited June 11, 2011 by scribblet

Evening Star · June 11, 2011

But - they didn't spend a billion at all, is amount going to be used continuously even though it's wrong. Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette says it was 509.90 million.

I think we all agree it was too much.. did the French have both a G8 and a G20 for their 30 million ?

Yes they are planning to:

http://www.thestar.com/article/829074--french-g8-g20-summits-will-cost-10-times-less-than-canada-s-sarkozy

Admittedly, that article doesn't actually put a price tag on the French summits. I'm not sure what the source for the $30M figure is.

The amount quoted in the AG report is $664M, I thought?

Edited June 11, 2011 by Evening Star

cybercoma · June 11, 2011

But - they didn't spend a billion at all, is amount going to be used continuously even though it's wrong. Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette says it was 509.90 million.

I think we all agree it was too much.. did the French have both a G8 and a G20 for their 30 million ?

I also understand that the French used their military as well as security personnel, maybe next time Canada will do that, maybe we should've done it. Having said that, we know if Harper had authorized the use of military he would have been pilloried for 'soldiers on the streets' and all, even if it did save money.

Nah. They spent $30 million on the G8 and $570 million on G20. :rolleyes:

mentalfloss · June 11, 2011

I also understand that the French used their military as well as security personnel, maybe next time Canada will do that, maybe we should've done it. Having said that, we know if Harper had authorized the use of military he would have been pilloried for 'soldiers on the streets' and all, even if it did save money.

The Toronto G8 police weren't soldiers on the streets?

Smallc · June 11, 2011

The French spent $30 million on theirs.

And I have Saskatchewan beach front property to sell you. The 2002 G8 even cost $200M. France didn't have one for $30M.

Evening Star · June 11, 2011

Yeah, looking over a table of cost comparisons, my impression was that the Canadian summits were a little on the high side but not ludicrously so. Misleading Parliament, or at least fudging things with Parliament, in order to funnel a large sum of money into projects in a minister's ridings, when they seem to have little connection either to the summits or to border congestion issues (the ostensible purpose of that fund), does bother me, however.