# "Spendit all" Minister Clement to deliver speech



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Former Minister of Industry, Tony Clement, who spent 50 million of the taxpayers money in his riding Parry Sound-Muskoka in 2010 for "improvements" nothing to do with the G8, is now, as TREASURY BOARD PRESIDENT, visiting Washington, and will be giving a speech to their Chamber of Commerce on..
get this!.."best practices of fiscal management". 

His speech will be on Canada's effort to return to a balanced budget by 2014
and reduce the deficit. 

http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story.asp?storyid={d14d3210-b30b-498d-9a19-a76e253ba723}

Ya, Tell those spendthrift Americans, Tony, that we know how to be frugal
with taxpayers money! 
It's the equivalent having a fox keep watch over the taxpayer's henhouse.


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## LondonHomes (Dec 29, 2010)

I find kind of ironic, since he hasn't stood up in the house to answer questions about his spending on the G20 in over a year.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

And these guys were supposed to be better. They took money intended for border infrastructure and misappropriated it for toilets and gazebos in Tony's riding.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

andrewf said:


> And these guys were supposed to be better. They took money intended for border infrastructure and misappropriated it for toilets and gazebos in Tony's riding.


No different than misappropriating for fancy consultants, raucous parties in resorts, gourmet coffee and of course golden handshakes.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Yup. Power corrupts. I never suggested otherwise. I seem to recall others suggesting one batch of politicians were saints and the other fiends.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Harper with his majority can now steam(roll) over the opposition at full speed.
With his trusted cronies, Baird (his mouthpiece/artful dodger), Clement,(in
charge of the treasury), Flaherty (finance), and MacKay (defence spending), you can rest assured that the promise of a balanced budget by 2014 (election year) may be only some propoganda to keep the press off his back.

Superjets, superjails, corporate tax cuts are now ahead-full speed!

And.. you overtaxed middle income struggling families with kids?... you have to wait until at least 2014, when we "balance the budget", for any tax relief..

and oh yes...the 10 year term health accord that Paul Martin negotiated in 2004?..you can kiss that funding goodbye in 2014!
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/maude-barlow/health-care-canada_b_876984.html

When this happens, Premier "Dad" will be forced to raise the OHIP tax to
make up for the loss in funding...and Ms Horwath, who wants to improve
the health care system won't be able to argue against it.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

The federal budget will not be balanced in 2014. We'd be lucky to see balance in 2016-2017.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

andrewf said:


> Yup. Power corrupts. I never suggested otherwise. I seem to recall others suggesting one batch of politicians were saints and the other fiends.


I wonder who considers politicians saints 
Selecting politicians often comes down to picking a lesser evil over another.
As an example, I would pick someone that keeps spoilt, unruly unions in check, rather than one that makes secret deals with them and then lies about it in parliament.


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

I like Harper and the way he is beginning to do what he promised. Especially when compared to the disfunctional US government


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

HaroldCrump said:


> 1. I wonder who considers politicians saints
> 
> 2.Selecting politicians often comes down to picking a lesser evil over another.


1. Hmmm, who could that be.  I wonder too.  

You reminded me of this article Harold.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/03/history_and_film

2. That has always been the case for me.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Harold, is that the same party as Brian Mulroney? I seem to recall them wasting billions, and Mulroney himself accepting cash in envelopes.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

andrewf said:


> Harold, is that the same party as Brian Mulroney?


Not only that...it's actually the same party that supported king James II back in 1678 against the Whigs.
Oh the horror that has been unleashed during 4 centuries and across 2 continents....tchk, tchk, tchk.
How could anyone even _think_ of voting for them?


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

You can vote for Devil A or Devil B. But picking Devil B because he is a saint is a terrible reason in my book. Mulroney is _not_ the reason I won't vote for Harper (Harper is the reason I won't vote for Harper), to be clear.

I guess my point is that you are saying "I vote for corrupt-in-the-past-Party-A because Party B has been corrupt in the past." They're both guilty--it's not a differentiating criterion. It just does not compute to me.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

andrewf said:


> Harold, is that the same party as Brian Mulroney? I seem to recall them wasting billions, and Mulroney himself accepting cash in envelopes.


Didn't he graduate from envelopes to suitcases?


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

I feel uneasy having our politicians wagging their fingers at the world.

Canada has high unemployment, higher debt levels, a housing bubble to manage, and has little room to manoevre to increase revenue from the tax base.

Pride goeth before a fall.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

andrewf said:


> Harold, is that the same party as Brian Mulroney? I seem to recall them wasting billions, and Mulroney himself accepting cash in envelopes.


I don't think the inquiry were able to pin him down or find out exactly where
that cash went that KH Schrieber gave him on several occasions. Just before
the parliamentry inquiry, he "fessed" up by declaring to Rev Canada (through
his tax lawyer, who has client immunity in this case) that..oh yes..he received
some "payment" for some "legal work" for KHS. He paid whatever ever paltry
tax sum was owing and that was it. 

And what about Chretien and Gomery? Instead of answering questions about
his involvement (while PM) on some country club deals in Quebec, he just
showed on TV during the Gomery inquiry..."see these golf balls? I like to
play golf and this is my only involvement with <x> country club.

Yes, he was as pure as the driven snow in those deals and the ABSCAM
scandal too. 

I think Lester Pearson was probably the last honest one amongst them.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

sags said:


> I feel uneasy having our politicians wagging their fingers at the world.
> 
> Canada has high unemployment, higher debt levels, a housing bubble to manage, and has little room to manoevre to increase revenue from the tax base.
> 
> *Pride goeth before a fall*.


Yes, we should just keep quiet and let sleeping dogs lie. The US has it's own
set of problems and the European "economic basket cases", (Greece, Portugal,
Ireland) and Italy isn't far behind, tells us that Germany/France while trying to
prop up the Eurodollar, it is at best, only a short term solution.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

sags said:


> Didn't he graduate from envelopes to suitcases?


Only when he was involved with legal work on "investment deals" on the new pasta making
machine... 

also see "CASH PAYMENTS"..(wads of cash in brown paper bags).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_affair

Fly on the wall at a secret meeting place:

KHS...Brian, did you swing it?
BM: Swing what?
KHS: You know the "pasta making machine deal"
BM: Oh that..did you bring the cash in $100s as I asked you?
KHS: Yes, its all here, do you want to count it?
BM: Didn't I tell you this is a top secret "arrangement"?
Do you want me to continue to work on the pasta deal?
KHS..Yes, my people are already passing information to the giant
pasta makers in Toulouse.
BM..Karl..your lips are too-loose..just keep this under your hat..ok?
I'm still Prime Minister, and if they found out......it could be very
bad for both of us..Very bad Karl!


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

andrewf said:


> I guess my point is that you are saying "I vote for corrupt-in-the-past-Party-A because Party B has been corrupt in the past." They're both guilty--it's not a differentiating criterion. It just does not compute to me.


So from your theory it appears that everyone is corrupt, either right now, or in the recent past, or in the not-so-recent past.
I take it then that you do not vote at all.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Nope, I just don't consider it in how I vote. You're voting as if one party is honest. They're not. They will get caught with their hands in the cookie jar. It is inevitable.

I vote more on the basis of policy and competence. I have an aversion to ideologues. I'm a fiscal conservative that cares about income inequality. I'm a social liberal/libertarian. So, a fiscally profligate authoritarian government does not appeal to me.


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

How is Tony Clement not being investigated for fraud? Did he not go through the proper approvals for that reckless spending in Huntsville?


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

andrewf said:


> They will get caught with their hands in the cookie jar. It is inevitable.


Yes, that cookie jar is very tempting...just ask Tony Clement. 



> I'm a fiscal conservative that cares about income inequality. I'm a social liberal/libertarian. So, a fiscally *profligate* authoritarian government does not appeal to me.


that's a new word for me..had to look up the meaning online..
"extravagance, indulgence, waste"

yes, certainly the superjets and corporate tax cuts by Harper, at a time when families are struggling to make ends meet...would certainly fall into those descriptions.

As far as the superjails...do we really need those to replace the existing
jails at a cost of hundreds of millions? (See paragraph on "Issues of Concern")
http://www.johnhoward.on.ca/pdfs/superjails.pdf


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Jungle said:


> How is Tony Clement not being investigated for fraud? Did he not go through the proper approvals for that reckless spending in Huntsville?


Maybe, but so far, he's managed to evade questions on the Big Spend,
using John Baird as his mouthpiece. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/10/05/tony-clement-probe-auditor-general_n_997096.html

So in reality, if a Parliamentary committee investigation was set up for
Minister Clement, it might as well bring in Minister Baird, his "partner"
in the 50 million cookie jar big spend. 

I think that is small potatoes to what it's going to cost taxpayers for
the superjets and the superjails, and no doubt corporate tax cuts coming
up as well.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

The superjails/'criminal training centres' are needed to house all the new inmates produced by the government's new hang-em-high legislation. All those pot dealers need to do some real time, network with others, learn some new skills, and put them to use when eventually released.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Just read in the Ottawa Citizen front page headline;
*Stimulus Billions didn't dent backlog.*Briefing notes reveal growing list of liabilities from crumbling roads, bridges and other infrastructure. 
Briefing notes say it's time to review existing programs to make sure they are effective.

Analysis was prepared by the new intergov't affairs minister, who entered Harper's cabinet after May. It mentioned that the Building Canada Plan, which was supposed to last until 2014..(why does that date keep coming up?), has very money left, as the majority of funds in it have been committed. The federal gov't has made a 10.75 billion investment since 2006, combined with other levels of gov't, for a total of 31 billion.

Federation of Canadian Municipalities estimates show that Canada needs 123 Billion to bring public infrastructure up to acceptable levels.

One of the proposals to help alleviate the funding issue is new gas tax sharing legislation.

Well out of this, at least we can rest assured that the public washrooms
in Muskoka are now modernized, thanks to Tony Clement.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

carverman said:


> Well out of this, at least we can rest assured that the public washrooms
> in Muskoka are now modernized, thanks to Tony Clement.


As I like Muskoka in the Summer, I'm very happy for that.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Surprisingly little of the stimulus was directed to infrastructure in both Canada and the US. A lot of the spending was on tax measures, such as the granite countertop tax credit.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

andrewf said:


> Surprisingly little of the stimulus was directed to infrastructure in both Canada and the US. A lot of the spending was on tax measures, such as the *granite countertop tax credit*.


A double entendre? Lets face it, when there are cookie jars that are
available without too much accountability, as in the 50 million of Canadian taxpayers money.... (that's EVERYONE'S tax money, 10 original provinces plus the NWT and Yukon), that Tony Clement blew in ONE area!..and got away with it,
pork barrel politics is alive and well in Canada. 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...tructure-for-a-one-day-summit/article1435876/

What we really need is more accountabilty in high gov't positions.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

andrewf said:


> granite countertop tax credit.


LOL...that was one of the funniest tax policies I can think of.
Anyone who doesn't believe our govt. is doing everything it can to support the RE bubble, look no further.
Too bad they discontinued it


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

In this weekend's Ottawa Citizen, further information on Minister Clement's the "Big Spend" has been revealed. 

Apparently, Muskoka (Huntsville) got a new Centennial center and
Nippising university (Bracebridge) got a new campus addiition from it.
NorthBay airport got a huge upgrade, even though the G8 summit
never used it.

Latest. The OPP are now investing a contractor in the Gravehurst area
on allegations of "siphoning substanial amounts of money and 10% kickbacks from the subcontractors on projects in that area. 
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/978719

While one could *suppose* this type of thing happens in Quebec, this practice now seems be starting be evident in areas where federal money might be involved.

The pork barrel politics continues at the expense of much needier
areas of the rest of Canada, which could have really used some of that money, 
had it been allocated through correct governmental practices and procedures.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/824640


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