msj Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Just wanted to be the first to say that Peter Mackay sold out the Progressive Conservatives for a taxpayer funded helicopter ride! Seems like there's a lot of taxpayer subsidized rides for VIP's lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YEGmann Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 If he would have used an airline, it still would be taxpayers to pay. BTW was there a commercial flight on his route? When I served in Air Force there was a practice to fly for free on military airplanes if it matched your destination and there was room in the aircraft. I know American military and members of their families do the same. This is actually saves taxpayer's money - those aircraft fly those routes any way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g_bambino Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Seems like there's a lot of taxpayer subsidized rides for VIP's lately. And the point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topaz Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 You know the saying, "what we don't know can't hurts us" well, I sure there's a lot more the politicians are spending for themselves that we(taxpayers) are being hit for. The Feds will keep right on abusing our taxpayers until we get angry and protest in some way that IT has to STOP but we don't and so they will live the life of the rich and famous because the taxpayers let them. http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110921/search-and-rescue-chopper-picked-up-mackay-110921/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 If he would have used an airline, it still would be taxpayers to pay. BTW was there a commercial flight on his route? When I served in Air Force there was a practice to fly for free on military airplanes if it matched your destination and there was room in the aircraft. I know American military and members of their families do the same. This is actually saves taxpayer's money - those aircraft fly those routes any way. commercial flight? he was at a fishing lodge...he paid to have himself and his buddies flown in he could have flown himself out the same way... diverting a search and rescue chopper to fly himself out and we pay the $16K is a bit much... the next four years are going to be so wonderful, there will be deficits and corruption as predicted a conservative majority would bring...power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek L Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 From reading the above linked "story" "After cancelling previous efforts to demonstrate their search-and-rescue capabilities to Minister MacKay over the course of three years, the opportunity for a search-and-rescue demonstration finally presented itself in July of 2010," Mr. MacKay's spokesman, Jay Paxton, told The Globe and Mail in an e-mail on Thurdsday. "As such, Minister MacKay cut his personal trip to the area short to participate in this Cormorant exercise." I'm now waiting for a "story", show a senior government official taking a "pleasure cruise" aboard a RCN frigate........or a taxpayer funded vacation to Kabul They really seem to be reaching......why not spend more time on the Crime bill etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 From reading the above linked "story" I'm now waiting for a "story", show a senior government official taking a "pleasure cruise" aboard a RCN frigate........or a taxpayer funded vacation to Kabul They really seem to be reaching......why not spend more time on the Crime bill etc? military sources say there was no scheduled cormorant exercise that day... However, military sources say no search-and-rescue demonstration was planned until the very day MacKay’s office made the request to pick him up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek L Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 commercial flight? he was at a fishing lodge...he paid to have himself and his buddies flown in he could have flown himself out the same way... diverting a search and rescue chopper to fly himself out and we pay the $16K is a bit much... the next four years are going to be so wonderful, there will be deficits and corruption as predicted a conservative majority would bring...power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely... All RCAF figures when it comes to operating costs of various aircraft are all amortized both over the annual expense and the expected lifespan of the equipment……..Same with when “ maintenance hours” that are quoted in the press about servicing aircraft That figure, for the CH-149, will be the average of the costs to train the aircrew, SAR TECHs, daily maintenance, the training of maintainers, depot level maintenance, spare parts, fuel, administration of the squadron etc, spread over the entire fleet of 14 aircraft, based on both coasts. All these costs, will be paid regardless of usage and are budgeted annually. I suppose DND accounting methods would just clutter up a good storey. If you want to find the actual cost of his half hour flight, in the private market, call a helicopter charter company that leases out Jet Rangers, than times the cost by three to account for the Cormorant’s engines…… I can fly from Vancouver to Victoria (about half hour flight), via Helijet, for just over $100 at commercial rates……… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek L Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 military sources say there was no scheduled cormorant exercise that day... So? Would you rather they cancel other exercises, or worse, actual emergency flights? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YEGmann Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 military sources say there was no scheduled cormorant exercise that day... It doesn't matter. There is no strict schedule with the RCAF aircraft usage. Only "plans". Pilots got their records for the flight. Aircraft log was filled in too. They won't fly this mission next time. Planned aircraft flight hours will be maintained. I am not saying everything is fine. There might be abuse. Or might not. Just we need to know all facts. Media give us one side of the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 It doesn't matter. There is no strict schedule with the RCAF aircraft usage. Only "plans". Pilots got their records for the flight. Aircraft log was filled in too. They won't fly this mission next time. Planned aircraft flight hours will be maintained. I am not saying everything is fine. There might be abuse. Or might not. Just we need to know all facts. Media give us one side of the story. actually the media gave both, the PMO gave one version the military source a conflicting version...do you think the military has anything to gain by lying about their boss?... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek L Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 (edited) actually the media gave both, the PMO gave one version the military source a conflicting version...do you think the military has anything to gain by lying about their boss?... Do you think the media (and same journalist who reported the CDS storey) have anything to gain with selling papers in a slow news week? Edited September 22, 2011 by Derek L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek L Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Who would have an axe to grind with the Minister of national defence and the chief of defence staff, prior to recommendations of cutting the number of civil servants, high ranking officers and defence contractors with in the department of national defence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Who would have an axe to grind with the Minister of national defence and the chief of defence staff, prior to recommendations of cutting the number of civil servants, high ranking officers and defence contractors with in the department of national defence? relatively easy to check military schedules for the day to verify mcckay's story...and I haven't seen that done as yet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g_bambino Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 I'm now waiting for a "story", show a senior government official taking a "pleasure cruise" aboard a RCN frigate........or a taxpayer funded vacation to Kabul No kidding! There's being prudent about the use of taxpayer dollars, and then there's irrationally trying to create scandal out of nothing. This just in: Governor General sleeps in taxpayer funded bed! Get the pitchforks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek L Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 (edited) relatively easy to check military schedules for the day to verify mcckay's story...and I haven't seen that done as yet... Huh? What's the current locations of the MND and & CDS right now? What about last Thursday?......or the third Tuesday of November? Or July 16th of 2009? Edited September 22, 2011 by Derek L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek L Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 No kidding! There's being prudent about the use of taxpayer dollars, and then there's irrationally trying to create scandal out of nothing. This just in: Governor General sleeps in taxpayer funded bed! Get the pitchforks! Better yet, this morning well I was getting fuel at the local Esso, I saw two RCMP cruisers parked and the members getting coffee and breakfast sandwiches......the cheek, using tax payer funded gas to pick-up meals...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msj Posted September 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 And the point? The point was the first sentence of the OP: Just wanted to be the first to say that Peter Mackay sold out the Progressive Conservatives for a taxpayer funded helicopter ride! Comprehension much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scribblet Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Spin - much !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msj Posted September 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Spin - much !! Got humour? Much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g_bambino Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 (edited) The point was... that Peter Mackay sold out the Progressive Conservatives for a taxpayer funded helicopter ride! The question very clearly related to your statement about there being "a lot of taxpayer subsidized rides for VIP's lately". [c/e] Edited September 22, 2011 by g_bambino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msj Posted September 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 So, the point was your partisan, irrational opinion. Got ya. Let me explain it to you: Peter Mackay was the leader of the PC's and promised (in writing) to not merge the two conservative parties. Then Mackay went on a personal fishing trip and got picked up on a taxpayer funded helicopter. So, I have blended these facts as a joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msj Posted September 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 The question very clearly related to your statement about there being "a lot of taxpayer subsidized rides for VIP's lately". [c/e] Well, that's a fact too. We had a thread about Harper's subsidized ride to a hockey game in Boston. Another about the CDS getting a ride to a vacation in the Caribbean etc... And now Mackay getting picked up while on a personal vacation. These are all taxpayer subsidized rides. Some may be justified and others not so much. The main point of the OP still remains the joke about Mackay merging the two parties to get a ride on a helicopter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Chriton Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 (edited) Options for Harper seem to be: 1.) Don't go anywhere while prime minister (4-8 years with no vacations) [unreasonable] 2.) Pay personally for all RCMP costs, etc w/ protecting him. [unreasonable] 3.) Do what the Liberals did and use government aircraft as your own 4.) Pay the same price you would if you weren't prime minister #4 seems extremely fair and big improvement from #3. The fake outrage over this just makes the CPC look better. I'm surprised he is going #4 -- good for him. It's about time someone in Ottawa got it. Edited September 23, 2011 by Martin Chriton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g_bambino Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 Some may be justified and others not so much. And just which ones aren't? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.