The G8 legacy: buildings empty, Parliament misled

[Newsjock]

Source: The Globe and Mail

Two buildings that cost $27-million in the lead-up to last year’s G8 meeting in Muskoka are now largely deserted, symbols of a new political headache for the Conservatives as they fight an election campaign in which they are accused of failure to be accountable and transparent with Parliament.

According to draft reports leaked on Monday, Auditor-General Sheila Fraser is set to condemn the so-called G8 Legacy Infrastructure Fund that was used by the Harper government to shower the riding of a key minister with spending projects.

... Ms. Fraser criticizes the government for a lack of openness toward Parliament, which unwittingly voted for the program as part of a border infrastructure initiative, and for letting Industry Minister Tony Clement pick the 32 projects that were approved for funding out of 242 applications. The draft report also leaves the Harper government exposed to charges of financial mismanagement in the $50-million program, which had a budget 10 times higher than the funding allocated to major summits in Quebec City and Kananaskis, Alta.

The initial draft of the report, dated in January and released to the Canadian Press, went as far as saying that the government “misinformed” Parliament and that obtaining approval for funds under the guise of a border initiative might have been illegal. The Conservatives, however, released a second draft to The Globe, dated in February, in which the Auditor-General was still sharply critical, but dropped the reference to breaking the law. In addition, the updated version did not refer to misinformation, but said the government was “not transparent” with Parliament.

Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/the-g8-legacy-buildings-empty-parliament-misled/article1981130/

[UpInArms]

1. color me ... not shocked ... goverments around the world are having a

terrific time trying to figure out how the banksters got all the money transferred via unnecessary "projects"

[PDJane]

2. Not in the least shocked.........

But it seems that Harper is on top in the polls, and that does shock me.

He's a second Bush. I have decided that to be a modern conservative means you're either stupid or greedy...or both.