Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Zero Credibility

So, let's get the dynamics straight. You have Jim Flaherty overtly bashing the budget officer, which requires sheer gall, given the past public record on "predictability". That Flaherty is able to get away with his criticisms represents a failure to simply track the record. Those very clear and easily supported facts aside, when now have the spectacle of a Finance Minister who can't even keep his office in check, never mind the country:
OTTAWA – Finance Minister Jim Flaherty couldn't keep his own office budget in the black last year, published figures suggest.

Flaherty breached Treasury Board guidelines by overspending by more than $430,000 last year, according to government documents.

Flaherty spent $2,868,222 on his ministerial office in 2009-10, while Treasury Board rules cap spending for ministers with extra regional responsibility and a parliamentary secretary at $2,437,370.

"I'm amazed," said Liberal Treasury Board critic Siobhan Coady. "If you can't control your own budget for your own department, how can we be assured that you are going to control the budget for the whole country?"

Let's start connecting the dots here, because the pattern is clear and striking. There are plenty of excuses, but no matter WHERE you look, whether it be the PMO budget, cabinet, spending on self promotion, event spending, every expenditure imaginable, shows a Conservative government that has ZERO credibility on the fiscal restraint front. The fact Flaherty and Harper are able to go on offence, actually preach, is stunning and frankly represents a failure to hold to account. The Conservatives have managed the most BLOATED government in Canadian history, by a country mile, completely betraying the messaging we hear.

Here we sit, with Flaherty crafting his next budget, the the central theme being restraint in trying times, and yet we have all these contradictions swirling around. It's like the leader of the AA meeting has booze on his breath. Stunning.

6 comments:

JimBobby said...

Add to this the fact that PBO Kevin Page is working within a tiny budget specifically made tiny just to keep him down.

Then, we get headlines like Indian Affairs moves to reduce reliance on social assistance.

These ministries are the second biggest welfare recipients in Canada. First biggest? Big oil companies developing tar sands and raping the planet.

A Eliz. said...

What about all the money the Chiefs are making, and they worry about welfare!!
Everyday Harper is out spending money. I do not think the entire bunch know a damn thing about money..and Harper supposed to know about it ..hah!

thwap said...

Flaherty was just as careless when it was only Ontario tax-payers' money he was wasting.

Not only is he an extravagent spendthrift, he's also remarkably dull.

It'd be sweet if the Libs and NDP could at least agree that the third-place party not run in his riding.

Matter of fact, they should do that for all the tory cabinet ministers.

Steve V said...

I also find it hilarious, Flaherty gets to criticize Page's numbers, when he cooked the books in Ontario. Do we have a memory anymore, or do you just start fresh each new day??

Jerry Prager said...

The failure of the media to do it's job because of corporate contempt for democracy has given birth to wikileaks and every other leaking ally we have that is about to sink this rottingof corporatist ship of state.

Tof KW said...

"Do we have a memory anymore, or do you just start fresh each new day??"

That's the worst part of it, Flaherty put Ontario in the red ...during good economic times. Hell, Rae's NDP government did better, and that was during a recession. But our friggin' memory-challenged media can't remember he sucked at the job way back a whole whopping 7 years ago? Deficit Jimmie is clearly unqualified for the job, but no one will report the obvious.