My latest in Full Comment is about the silly Muskoka pavilion the feds have built in Toronto to house reporters covering the Huntsville summit — 3 hours away from there:
It’s amazing what an extra $1.9 million can do to stir up controversy on something that is already costing $1.2 billion to taxpayers. Greg Weston made waves on Sunday with an article about a “fake Muskoka” pavilion for reporters covering the G8 summit in the real Muskoka.
Canadian and international journalists expecting to catch some of Ontario’s most coveted cottage country will be disappointed to learn that the feds have built a “Muskoka” centre inside the Toronto media facility that includes a small lake. This lake has since been clarified as a “reflecting pool” by Muskoka MP Tony Clement in a Twitter response to Macleans Magazine editor Andrew Coyne.
That’s it for me. Like Popeye, I have had all I can stands — I can’t stands no more.
I don’t care that the opposition is a collection of doofi. I will never vote for the Conservative Party in the future. This Government is now officially Out To Lunch. And I am a supporter or WAS, believe it or not.
This outlandish spending in a time of World crisis is a complete disgrace. That the Government is defending rather than apologizing is WORSE. At least for me it is.
I’m done.
Heh. I was certain the first comment was going to be defending the Tories.
The cost of this are ridiculous by any standards.
I will not be voting either.
http://www.financialsense.com/Market/wrapup.htm
In response to these expectations the security bill has already surpassed 1.2 billion. To put that into perspective:
* the March 2009 London G20 Summit security costs were approximately 20.6 million pounds
* the fall 2009 Summit in Pittsburgh had security costs of approximately 18 million
Where’s Al-Qaeda when we need them?
I expect the 1.2 billion is an exaggeration by the government. When it’s all over and everything is tallied up, the numbers won’t look so bad. Martin did it every year with the budget.
Both the British and the U.S. governments probably underreported their expenses. Plus we are hosting two summits. But I think these summits are like the Olympics – they should be held in the same place every year (or two for the Olympics – one different for the Winter Olympics).
Scrap the fake lake and give the media some tents to set up on the shores of Lake Ontario.Our very own National Press Gallery can supply the marshmallows. Problem solved.
As a conservative, this was a really dumb move and annoys the base and everyone else. Heads should roll in the CPC.
Just think of it as bonus stimulus funding for Ontario!
the really hot news today is a Nanos poll,
Dippers UP 4.5% to 20.7 OMG!
Libs DOWN 4% to 29.2
Cons at 35.6 now a 6.4 gap UP from 5.0 (tho down 1.6% but inside MOE)
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0721079820100607
LOL, look at the anti-Con headline!
Can we please stop the bitching and moaning about every dollar spent on these 2 world class events!!
We heard this same grumbling about the Olympics!
Let’s hope these events are equally as successfull!
Let’s just leave it up to the very capable hands of Ms Fraser to rip into the government, if necessary.
Half of what the media is reporting is bull, and the other half is over-hyped.
Does the opposition have the guts to call an election over this issue?Nope.Will it be an election issue?Not for me.Do we have an auditors report about this?Nope.Just the media reports which we know are slanted left.
Ask yourself what have Left wing parties done for you lately?Nothing.
Have they offered an alternative?Nope.just more talks about a coalition and Iffy humming and hawing.
So no it would have to be something pretty darn drastic to withdraw my support for the Tories right now.
Now how dumb is that bank bombing now?
Want to know what reflects badly?Liberals blocking immigration reform.I can tell you this.People from “other” countries are not intergrating themselves into our fabric.Having family here already is no excuse to bring over the rest of them.We rule of law here that i had to follow when i sponsered a friend of mine from the USA.I had to go through hoops and about 3k dollars.But it did work.However others are not going through legitimately and have other motives.
So yeah the immigration issue needs to be addressed.How about stricter education controls instead of accepting illiterates from other countries eh?We have enough illiterates here.Speaking english would help no?
Have you discovered that the exaggerated figures re the cost of this fake lake is really only around 57,000. But, a fake lake for fake journalitsts to write fake stories seems about right.
Will Bob Rae go skinny dipping in it.
Will raw sewage be dumped in it.
We all know TO would rather attract tourists for their Pride parade, than a world event.