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Blog of Adam Daifallah -- author, journalist, law student. Lover of politics, writing, golf, curling, fitness, fashion, bacon and maple products -- not necessarily (but probably) in that order. Partisan of the Anglosphere. Contact me via email at adam@daifallah.com. This summer I am joined by Keir Wilmut and Omar Soliman.
Friday, February 13, 2004
Who's minding the store in Ottawa?
The revelations out about our federal government this week are, well, disgusting. I don't think I've ever been as outraged at my own government as I am now. In the last 72 hours, we've learned of a triad of stupefying outrages:
1) USING OUR MONEY TO BUY VOTES AND REWARD FRIENDS IN QUEBEC: The Liberal government's vote-buying scheme in Quebec, where contracts totalling $100 million in federal funds for essentially doing nothing were doled out, as revealed in the scathing Auditor-General's report Tuesday. Paul Martin is continuing to deny he knew what was going on.
2) USING OUR MONEY TO PUNISH INNOCENT GUN OWNERS: The Liberal boondoggle gun registry has now cost taxpayers $2-billion so far, double the last government estimate, according to a CBC report. This is a program that was originally supposed to cost $2-million. Yes, that really does equal 1,000 times over-budget. How can anyone get away with this?
3) USING OUR MONEY FOR ADRIENNE CLARKSON AND FRIENDS' JUNKETS: There was a big outcry after it was revelead that a "circumpolar tour" for the Governor General and her friends would cost $1-million. It turns out that the bill is actually $5.3-million. That's right, $4-million more than expected for the vice-regal and 59 of her closest friends to tour the Arctic circle. (This apparently doesn't even include the cost of the air travel!)
TOTAL AMOUNT WASTED ON THESE THREE ITEMS: AT MINIMUM, $2.5 BILLION
That is not just embarassing, it is a total disgrace. They've done it before, but never to this scale and never so much at once. The question is, this time, will there be outrage?
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:52 PM
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