Liberal Party "Pre-Electoral" Pork

August1991 · June 7, 2005

Since April 20th, 2005, the day before Paul Martin begged for his job on national television, the Liberals have made over 250 spending announcements totaling over $17-billion of taxpayers’ money. This works out to $607-million per day or over $25-million every hour.

Of the $17 billion promised, Alberta gets $2.7 million. Specifically:

Investment in Pipeline Services Company $600,000 Edmonton, AB,

Saddle Lake First Nation

Public Safety and emergency Preparedness

Multi-Agency Search and Rescue Training Centre

$1,700,000 Calgary, AB Urban Search and Rescue

Social Development Canada 24 Seniors Projects

$398,716 Edmonton, AB New Horizons for Seniors

The list is unbelievable, check it out here: Taxpayers Federation

In honesty, there is an item for $4.6 billion of "social spending" that will go to some Albertans. And there's $375 million promised for National Parks and so Alberta will get some of that.

But I draw two conclusions:

1) All of the people connected with the various organizations listed become dependent in some way on the federal Liberal Party. This is vote buying at its most atrocious. Canada has become a country of rentiers, courtiers and remittance men. Rick Salutin wrote a piece a while ago about how governments are supposed to buy votes by giving the population services. Fair point. But what happens when a government can tax some people and give the money to a larger number of other people? This list linked above is bizarre. (Investment in Saddle Lake Reserve Investment project?)

2) Alberta ain't getting its share.

Technocrat · June 7, 2005

LOL

Please sir i want some more :lol:

kimmy · June 8, 2005

Well, if one is jetting about distributing the green to "firm up support", one would likely concentrate on areas where there is some "support" to "firm up".

I recall the 2000 election campaign, when Chretien didn't bother to visit Calgary. When asked why the Prime Minister didn't bother to visit such a major city, Chretien's chief made some kind of witty comment that basically showed he recognized that no amount of Chretien campaigning in Calgary would bear fruit, and that the PM's efforts would be more valuable in other areas.

I'd have thought that Anne McLellan would have had some influence in steering some goodies this way, given the difficult time she'll have winning her seat again. Does she actually have any pull? Or is Deputy PM just somebody that scrubs the crapper in the Prime Minister's office?

-k

ScottBrison · June 8, 2005

2) Alberta ain't getting its share.

Yeah Alberta is pretty poor, they desperatly need it. Oh crap could you pass the oil? My car keeps leaking it.

August1991 · June 8, 2005

2) Alberta ain't getting its share.

Yeah Alberta is pretty poor, they desperatly need it. Oh crap could you pass the oil? My car keeps leaking it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Far be it from me to defend Albertans, but excuse me while I go outside and wretch. There is something nauseating happening in Canada now. When Trudeau did things like this, at least he had 75 seats in Quebec, a bunch of seats in Ontario and could claim that he represented both sides of central Canada. He also had some scheme in mind and some finesse. But that was then and this is now.

Argus · June 8, 2005

2) Alberta ain't getting its share.

Yeah Alberta is pretty poor, they desperatly need it. Oh crap could you pass the oil? My car keeps leaking it.

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This is an all too common attitude from the left. If you, for whatever reason, are doing okay, you deserve nothing from the government but the back of their hand, and a higher tax rate.

It's the poor, the failures, the losers, the welfare bums, the leechers that the Left thinks really deserves every bit of help and money (your money) that it can fork over.

Of course, even that attitude, as ignorant as it is, is badly misplaced here, since pre-election pork is never aimed at helping the downtrodden. It is aimed at buying votes. It is aimed at helping the Liberal Party. And some people apparently have no problem with that. Spending billions and billions on projects which are of little value to Canada, and are not much needed, simply to help firm up Liberal Party support.

Moral and intellectual bankruptcy is spreading.

Redneck Savage · June 8, 2005

2) Alberta ain't getting its share.

Yeah Alberta is pretty poor, they desperatly need it. Oh crap could you pass the oil? My car keeps leaking it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Far be it from me to defend Albertans, but excuse me while I go outside and wretch. There is something nauseating happening in Canada now. When Trudeau did things like this, at least he had 75 seats in Quebec, a bunch of seats in Ontario and could claim that he represented both sides of central Canada. He also had some scheme in mind and some finesse. But that was then and this is now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Federal money is always needed in every province, regardless of their apparent "wealth" otherwise, why would we pay tax??? Brison, for you to not care whether Alberta gets a share or not, shows your complete ignorance to nationality.

It does build a strong case for the Separation Party of Alberta!

August, it sounds like you are saying, " If Martin had more support in Quebec, it would be ok to stiff Alberta!" or am I reading you wrong? That same kind of stupidity is why Trudeau was such an ass and why he was a hated man in Alberta! Not too many here cried when he finally "kicked off"!

If Martin feels he does not need to visit Alberta or ante up the dough, then separation will be the talk. We don't need Martin's Liberal bullshit agenda or the Liberal party at all. Pathetic!!!

Black Dog · June 8, 2005

If Martin feels he does not need to visit Alberta or ante up the dough, then separation will be the talk. We don't need Martin's Liberal bullshit agenda or the Liberal party at all. Pathetic!!!

Federal transfers currently account for around 13 per cent of Alberta's budget. I'm not defending Martin here, and I don't know if this is part of a "screw Alberta" platform (which one would assume would be counterproductive to a "vote buying" strategy), but separation is a non-starter.

fellowtraveller · June 8, 2005

Alberta netted about 9.6 billion in non-renewable resource revenues in 2004. over $7 billion was returned to federal coffers in equalization payments.

I'm not so sure that separation is a non-starter for more provinces than Quebec..

For the first time ever, many Canadians are studying what is happening in our federation and wondering : what is the point of this?

Really, the Liberals worst nightmare is upon them : the sheep look up.

Redneck Savage · June 8, 2005

Alberta netted about 9.6 billion in non-renewable resource revenues in 2004. over $7 billion was returned to federal coffers in equalization payments.
I'm not so sure that separation is a non-starter for more provinces than Quebec..

For the first time ever, many Canadians are studying what is happening in our federation and wondering : what is the point of this?

Really, the Liberals worst nightmare is upon them : the sheep look up.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

AMEN!

mcqueen625 · June 8, 2005

I'm not so sure that separation is a non-starter for more provinces than Quebec..
For the first time ever, many Canadians are studying what is happening in our federation and wondering : what is the point of this?

I don't think separation is being talked about especially in New Brunswick because we rely so heavily on Ottawa for everything, and our Acadian population will really suffer when Quebec finally leaves. (I can't wait) No more money flowing from Heritage Canada to fund Acadian initiatives, which most New Brunswicker neither need nor want.

Alberta I can see pulling the plug, and who can blame them? The only Province in Canada self-sustainable, Why would they stay and pay $billions into federal coffers only to have Martin/Chretien use it to make their Liberal friends in Quebec and Ontario richer than they already are.

August1991 · June 8, 2005

August, it sounds like you are saying, " If Martin had more support in Quebec, it would be ok to stiff Alberta!" or am I reading you wrong? That same kind of stupidity is why Trudeau was such an ass and why he was a hated man in Alberta! Not too many here cried when he finally "kicked off"!

I meant to say that when Trudeau did things like this, he also went to Newfoundland and said, "OK, you can keep every cent of your oil money. But that wouldn't be Canada." What I meant was that Trudeau was consistent, and had some kind of coherent idea about the country. He could claim to represent English and French central Canada and claim to be a unifying force in the country.

[i'm not defending Trudeau's ideas but I'll admit they were clear.]

I don't know what this current Liberal gang represents except pure expediency. They no longer represent French Quebec. They present no coherent idea of anything.