G8 & G20 Spending Controversy Continues
Northern Ontario New Democrats Slam Clement on Pork-Barrel Spending
OTTAWA – Northern Ontario NDP MPs slammed Industry Minister Tony Clement today for pork-barrel spending in his riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka. Clement has been under a cloud of controversy over supposed G8 and G20 related spending on projects such as gazebos, sidewalks 80 kms away from the summit, and lighthouses carved out of tree trunks.
“The government has said its blowing over a billion dollars on just 3 days of summit security in Muskoka and Toronto, but it’s become clear that they are throwing money at more than security.” said Bruce Hyer, MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North. “We have more lakes than almost any other country in the world, but they’re spending millions on a fake lake just for the summit. Add $20 million for violinists and flowers and $400,000 for a steamboat that won’t sail in time for the summit. This is a colossal mismanagement of taxpayer’s money coming at a time when we have the worst budget deficit in Canadian history.”
“These guys [Conservatives] are just out of control and out of touch, with what people are going through in these tough economic times,” said John Rafferty, MP for Thunder Bay-Rainy River. “Tony Clement, one of Mr. Harper’s most senior cabinet Ministers, authorized spending of $274,000 from the G8 Legacy Fund for a bathroom upgrade in Lake of Bays – nearly 25 kilometres away from the site of the G8 meeting location in Deerhurst. A quarter of a million dollar toilet upgrade 25 kilometres away from the meeting. It’s just surreal.”
“Over the past three years, this government has reduced total spending and the number of projects funded by FedNor,” said Claude Gravelle, MP for Nickel Belt and NDP FedNor Critic. “To then waste almost $400,000 of the FedNor budget on a boat that doesn’t float, and won’t touch water until weeks after the G-8 and G-20 Summits are concluded, is completely unacceptable.”
In 2007-2008, FedNor funded 248 projects worth $44.4 million. In 2009-2010 FedNor funded 169 projects worth $34.4 million, a drop of $10 million over three years.
“So much for this government’s promise to Canadians to improve accountability and trust,” said Charlie Angus, MP for Timmins-James Bay. “Since 2007, this Minister has doubled FedNor spending in his own riding. It’s clear Tony Clement has no capacity to discharge his duties fairly.”
“It is inappropriate to spend any FedNor on the G8/G20 summits.” added Hyer. “It’s hard to see how this agency spending will support economic diversification and job creation in Northern Ontario.”
