Annual waste awards feature federal department in leading role
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s (CTF) 16th annual celebration of waste has announced the biggest government fritterers for 2013.
The Teddy Awards highlight what the CTF believes are the greatest examples of squander in federal provincial and municipal governments. While Alberta usually takes home a few trophies it was narrowly beat out by the even greater offences of former Toronto Pan-Am Games CEO Ian Troop who has gone $1 billion over his $2.5-billion budget in producing the 2016 Pan-American Games for Toronto and expensed items such as a 91-cent parking fee despite taking home a $550000 salary.
The federal winner for malfeasance was Employment and Social Development Canada for spending millions on advertising the non-existent Canada Jobs Grant.
“If you jumped from your sofa during the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2013 to alert your unemployed teenager about the fabulous new $15000 Canada Jobs Grant you were in for a sad surprise. Despite $2.5 million in taxpayer-funded advertising… the Canada Jobs Grant didn’t exist and still doesn’t” said CTF federal director Gregory Thomas in a press release.
Alberta also received a special mention for Alison Redford’s $45000 trip to Nelson Mandela’s funeral when her counterpart in Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil spent just under $1000 for the same trip.
The Senate was also given a Lifetime Achievement Teddy for obvious reasons.
