The federal Conservatives have been rolling out spending announcements at a furious clip, a new analysis by Canwest News Service shows, putting their names on more than 1,590 news releases since their re-election last October detailing spending commitments worth nearly $70 billion.
Just since Parliament's summer recess began on June 22 — a span of 70 days — there have been, by midday Monday, 550 spending announcements for projects totalling more than $10 billion.
The pace of federal spending has been a hot topic in political circles. The Conservatives' political opponents argue that the government has been too slow to get stimulus money into the economy — spending announcement or not.
Last week, for example, Liberal MP John McCallum posed for a photo in an empty field in Burlington, Ont., on the site where McCallum said a federal grant of $2.3 million was supposed to have built a park.
“Millions of Canadians are scratching their heads wondering why they can't see any of it actually happening,” McCallum said.
“Mr. McCallum and others can sit on the sidelines and throw potshots,” Infrastructure Minister John Baird said Monday. “What we're focusing on is working constructively with municipalities and provinces, putting aside politics to make things happen.”
Baird argued that the billions his government pumped into the economy played a role in helping to end a string of 10 consecutive months in which gross domestic product declined. Statistics Canada said Monday that GDP for June grew, albeit fractionally, by 0.1 per cent.
Treasury Board President Vic Toews said in mid-August that his government has been so successful in getting construction projects started that he's now hearing complaints from constituents in Winnipeg that there is too much roadwork gumming up Manitoba's highways.
Among the 1,593 news releases issued by the federal government since Oct. 14 that involved spending commitments, Toews' name is on the one with the smallest cheque. On Nov. 14, Toews gave a cheque for $1,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs to the Winnipeg branch of the Polish Combatants Association in Canada for an event in which that group honoured Afghanistan veterans.
Of the spending announcements tracked by Canwest News Service, about 225 were for projects worth less than $25,000.
Some of those small projects included:
– $1,560 for a hotel in Keremeos, B.C., to hire a disabled person to work in the kitchen.
– $5,500 for a boys' choir festival in Grand Prairie, Alta.
– $9,988 for a museum in Alma, N.B., to put on an exhibit about the history of the mail-order catalogue.
– $10,094 for a curling rink condenser in Dugald, Man.
– $15,000 to produce walking tour podcasts in Charlottetown.
– $18,500 for seniors in Richmond, B.C., to put on an “intergenerational” movie night.
Is it just me or are the Conservatives now referring to all government spending as stimulus spending?
I'd rather that then have Bob Rae and Ruby Dhalla pocket the money. I'd like to hear a decent reason for an election from a liberal other than just bad-mouthing others. A REAL reason. And “the economy” as a reason doesn't count. I want FACTS, DETAILS, and PLANS (that they won't be able to provide) so I'll be voting PC again. Hmph!