Most Canadians seem to think Alberta keeps all the $ from oil and gas taxation, but the truth is the majority of it goes to the federal government.

I think rotten has some figures on this...

 

I fugured they did, not a poor province there. I think our give to get gap in ontario is 22 billion, I could see Alberta's being more.

 

You are right, it is WAY more. I heard on the news several days ago, that every man, woman, and child in Alberta recieved something like $400.

 

I just read Alberta gives 12 billion to the feds per year. On a per population basis, that would be more than Ontario. The article, however, seemed to suggest that Alberta has a large provincial surplus.

 

Good ol 'Alberta Prosperity Cheques'. They should be coming in the mail any day now...

 

I went to Waterloo. I knew what a shotgun was.

But I wasn't in engineering. I thought that was a prereq for engineering at Waterloo ! That and knowing all the barn animals by heart

 

Who said Harper was friendly with Bush? The Liberals. You fell for that one too, huh? What the Conservatives said was that they would improve US-Canada relations, which have fallen off the wagon during Chretien's (mis-)management time. US != Bush. Who's governing the US in 2008? Not Bush. Someone else will be elected - would anyone (other than the Liberals) seriously suggest that US-Canada relations shouldn't be improved until the top elected official is replaced? There's many, many levels of international relations that have suffered under the Liberals, and that suffering has hurt Canada. Softwood, anyone? The Liberals failed pathetically in accomplishing ANYTHING on this issue in a decade of negotiations!! The whole Bush-friendly accusation was simply another Liberal scare tactic.

What boggles the mind of Westerners is that Ontario believed the Liberal's 1993 Red Book of campaign promises - a detailed schedule documenting exactly what they would accomplish should they be elected. That's not so bad, in and of itself. But the Liberals lied. Remember "We will scrap the GST, guaranteed"? They lied about over 60% of the so-called commitments made in the Red Book. Over 60% of those "firm" promises never happened! The Liberals got elected, and tossed their commitments out the window. 1996, next election - the Liberals weaseled and waffled when challenged about their broken GST promise and other broken promises. They claimed they were still working on them. They got elected again - and promptly forgot all about their promises. One of your most prominent Liberals, good old Sheila Copps, vowed that if the Liberals didn't eliminate the GST, she'd resign. When confronted with that long-broken promise, she weaseled and waffled for nearly a year before finally, grudgingly, keeping her word when there was no way to avoid it. So what does Hamilton do, after witnessing first-hand the prolonged agony of a Liberal trying desperately to avoid having to actually keep a promise? Re-elected her. Honesty, integrity, actually honoring a commitment? Apparently those values meant nothing to Hamilton voters. THAT is one of the things that has baffled the West - we can't believe that Ontario voters are such suckers, or have such little integrity, that they would re-elect Chretien twice! The first time was forgiveable, he had no record. He certainly had a record of broken promises by 1996...

If Ontarians, and Torontonians, seriously want to know why the West distrusts Toronto, it's because of the prevailing attitude and sentiment there that Toronto is the centre of the universe. What arrogance! Someone above suggested that the West didn't like that "what's good for the goose (Toronto) is good for the gander (West)". THERE is the problem - the gross assumption that what's good for Toronto IS good for Canada and the West - usually, it isn't, but Toronto just assumes that it is and doesn't even bother considering whether that assumption is true!!

Here's another example of Toronto arrogance - the Globe and Mail, which long has billed itself as "Canada's National Newspaper". Has any Torontonian looked at the paper with a critical eye? Do you really think that Toronto's social news, plays, sports teams, are of interest to the rest of Canada? Are we supposed to care about your ballet reviews, what play just opened, what the Blue Jays or Leafs did last night? Sorry, that's local, regional stuff - the rest of us have our own social scene and sports teams to interest us. We really don't care about Toronto in that sense. Toronto just thinks we should!

Well, we don't hate Ontario - we just don't respect it. "Get most of the attention"? No, Ontario just focuses most of the attention on itself, and doesn't care about the rest of the country. We certainly don't give Ontario the attention it craves or thinks it deserves!

In Federal terms, Alberta contributes per-capita about 3 times as much as Ontario towards the Federal equalization payments. Alberta and Ontario are the only provinces that contribute to those, all other provinces receive from the equalization payments. Who is carrying the costs of the Canadian federal system? Albertans are carrying a far greater share than Ontarians, simple fact.

Albertans will also never forget the Liberal's National Energy Program of 1980. That was basically an institutionalized rape of Alberta's provincial resources. How would Ontario like it if the Federal government decided to cap the price of Ontario's produced goods or resources at less than 50% of world market value? How would Ontario like it if the Federal government then added special taxes to their resource industries to subsidize the rest of Canada's consumption? Sure, I would have loved to have bought an Ontario-made car for 30% of the price paid for the same car in the US, for example, and have Ontario pay the 70% difference! I bet Ontario residents wouldn't be so keen on that policy, though - and carmakers operating in Ontario wouldn't like losing so much money either, so the Ontario economy would tank. Think Alberta would care if the government implemented a policy that deliberately tanked the Ontario economy and put thousands and thousands of Ontario workers out of work? Actually, we would - but Ontario didn't seem to mind when the Liberals tanked the Alberta economy and put thousands and thousands of Albertans out of work with the NEP. Hey, they saved a few cents on the price of gas and heating oil! Well, not really - the Liberals put on extra taxes on everyone in order to buy their own oil company. Every other oil company had to fund acquisitions through business revenue and good management. Not Petro-Canada, though - the Liberals decided that all of Canada would fund their wild growth via a gasoline tax.

Base fact is that the Liberals, for decades, have governed on the philosophy that they only need to win in the East. They need Ontario seats (along with Quebec) to win federal elections, so they have deliberately sacrificed Western Canada to pander to eastern voters. A national party, caring about all Canadians? No, the Liberals haven't been a National Party since 1968, when they first elected Pierre Trudeau (who originated that attitude towards the West).

Hmmm, I think I've ranted enough. Maybe there are some Ontarians here who will read that, though, and then they can answer a question about why the West doesn't trust Ontario with other than "they're just jealous!"

 

**** Gord... I hate them now too!
But we're not really all that bad...some of us drive cool cars.
Seriously though, thanks for the explanation. I'm curious to see what the Conservatives will do in the next 2-4 years. It really can't be any worse than the last decade or so.

 

[QUOTE=Gord96BRG

In Federal terms, Alberta contributes per-capita about 3 times as much as Ontario towards the Federal equalization payments. [/QUOTE]

Gord, I will agree with most of your rant except that I have to put the quote above in perspective. Alberta came into money in the last couple of decades and has contributed to Canada's social state when times are good but throughout all of confederation the one province that has consistently paid the bills and held Canada together has been Ontario.

Edit: BTW, thanks for allowing this thread.

 

Alberta joined Canada in 1905.

Alberta discovered oil in commercial quantities in Turner Valley, south of Calgary, in the 1930s. Alberta discovered HUGE oil reserves, in Devon (south of Edmonton), in ~1950. For at least the past 55 years out of 100 years in Canada, Alberta has contributed to Canada federal funds, and never received more than they contributed. I doubt there was much in the way of equalization payments before 1950... . Somewhere recently, I read that on a per capita basis, averaged over Canada's history as a sovereign country, Alberta has still contributed the most to Federal costs! That means more than Ontario, too.

 

What's this business about huge provincial reserves of $$$ in Alberta? You planning on seperating cowboy?

 

Well, happy blated 100th anniversary!

Not trying to run down Alberta at all. Too bad a lot of other provinces live off of the hard work of a few. But Ontario was there from 1867 so that Alberta had something to join.

 

WHAT DO WE CANADIANS HAVE TO BE PROUD OF?
1. Smarties
2. Crispy Crunch, Coffee Crisp
3. The size of our footballs fields and one less
down
4. Baseball is Canadian
5. Lacrosse is Canadian
6. Hockey is Canadian
7. Basketball is Canadian
8. Apple pie is Canadian
9. Mr. Dress-up kicks Mr. Rogers butt
10. Tim Hortons kicks Dunkin' Donuts butt
11.In the war of 1812, started by America, Canadians pushed theAmericans back...past their 'White House'. Then we burned it...and most of Washington, under the command of William Lyon McKenzie who was insane and hammered all the time. We got bored because they ran away, so we came home and partied...Go figure..
12. Canada has the largest French population that never surrendered to Germany.
13. We have the largest English population that never ever surrendered or withdrew during any war to anyone, anywhere.
14. Our civil war was a bar fight that lasted a little over an hour.
15. The only person who was arrested in our civil war was an American mercenary, who slept in and missed the whole thing... but showed up just in time to get caught.
16. We knew plaid was cool far before Seattle caught on.
17. The Hudsons Bay Company once owned over 10% of the earth's surface and is still around as the world’s oldest company.
18. The average dog sled team can kill and devour a full grown human in under 3 minutes.
19. We still know what to do with all the parts of a buffalo.
20. We don't marry our kin-folk.
21. We invented ski-doos, jet-skis, velcro, zippers, insulin, penicillin, zambonis, the telephone and short wave radios that save countless lives each year.
22. We ALL have frozen our tongues to something metal and lived to tell about it.
23. A Canadian invented Superman.

BUT MOST IMPORTANT!

24. The handles on our beer cases are big enough to fit your hands with mitts on. OOOoohhhhh Canada!!
Oh yeah... and our elections only take one day.

 

Good one ...yes, yes its all because we can't take another game on the CBC with Bob Coyle and Harrt Neale!!!!

 

well that may be apert of it. There is still a deep resentment for what happened with the N.E.P. years ago. There is also the issue that even when the Liberals rob the country blind, you still votew them back in.

 

there are two major reasons for our surplus.

1) The obvious on is oil revenue
2) The more important one is the hardship we've endured during Ralph Klein’s rule in which he slashed the **** out of all spending. For years there were no school, hospitals or roads built until we got rid of both the deficit and the debt! We now are playing catch up with infrastructure.


We eraned our surplus!

 

WHAT HE SAID!!!...in a nutshell

 

I really also like this stuff about the West. Its really about Alberta and its due. Its not about 'toba, or Sask, or BC. In fact BC was the only province where the Liberals INCREASED their seat total, albeit by 1! The PC's went from 22 to 17. Also, Vancouver (along with Montreal and TO as mentioned above) did not elect a single PC seat. Victoria and Esquimalt were NDP and Liberal. I would not call that a big endorsement for change. Finally, lets not forget . . . the PC's got 37% of the vote. The other party's, who are all center-left and w/much more in common got the remainder. I am very happy with the result personally, but anyone that thinks that Canadians that swung were voting for the PC platform I think they are kidding themselves. This whole campaign was rhetoric from all sides. Fear mongering from all parties. Has anyone actually read the Gomery Report to see first hand what it says about the scandal. Very, very few. None of that matters though. The next 18 months are going to be interesting to say the least! I might actually have to watch some C-Pac, NOT. Out.

M

 

What boggles the mind of Westerners is that Ontario believed the Liberal's 1993 Red Book of campaign promises - a detailed schedule documenting exactly what they would accomplish should they be elected. That's not so bad, in and of itself. But the Liberals lied. Remember "We will scrap the GST, guaranteed"? They lied about over 60% of the so-called commitments made in the Red Book. Over 60% of those "firm" promises never happened! The Liberals got elected, and tossed their commitments out the window. 1996, next election - the Liberals weaseled and waffled when challenged about their broken GST promise and other broken promises. They claimed they were still working on them. They got elected again - and promptly forgot all about their promises. One of your most prominent Liberals, good old Sheila Copps, vowed that if the Liberals didn't eliminate the GST, she'd resign. When confronted with that long-broken promise, she weaseled and waffled for nearly a year before finally, grudgingly, keeping her word when there was no way to avoid it. So what does Hamilton do, after witnessing first-hand the prolonged agony of a Liberal trying desperately to avoid having to actually keep a promise? Re-elected her. Honesty, integrity, actually honoring a commitment? Apparently those values meant nothing to Hamilton voters. THAT is one of the things that has baffled the West - we can't believe that Ontario voters are such suckers, or have such little integrity, that they would re-elect Chretien twice! The first time was forgiveable, he had no record. He certainly had a record of broken promises by 1996...

I admit, as many would, Chretien's Liberals administration leave a LOT to be desired. 1993 and even 1996 were a decade or more ago. For the unethical, criminal behaviour of a limited number I love how the entire Liberal party is a bunch of crooks. Talk about fear mongering.


So...because it was a decade ago we should just forget about it? I DON'T THINK SO! What this all shows is a constancy for deceiving the Canadian public purely to get votes and retain power. It's understandable statement to make that the entire Liberal party are a bunch of crooks because of all the different people that have been caught up in scandal and ***** out lies.



Albertans will also never forget the Liberal's National Energy Program of 1980. That was basically an institutionalized rape of Alberta's provincial resources. How would Ontario like it if the Federal government decided to cap the price of Ontario's produced goods or resources at less than 50% of world market value? How would Ontario like it if the Federal government then added special taxes to their resource industries to subsidize the rest of Canada's consumption? Sure, I would have loved to have bought an Ontario-made car for 30% of the price paid for the same car in the US, for example, and have Ontario pay the 70% difference! I bet Ontario residents wouldn't be so keen on that policy, though - and carmakers operating in Ontario wouldn't like losing so much money either, so the Ontario economy would tank. Think Alberta would care if the government implemented a policy that deliberately tanked the Ontario economy and put thousands and thousands of Ontario workers out of work? Actually, we would - but Ontario didn't seem to mind when the Liberals tanked the Alberta economy and put thousands and thousands of Albertans out of work with the NEP. Hey, they saved a few cents on the price of gas and heating oil! Well, not really - the Liberals put on extra taxes on everyone in order to buy their own oil company. Every other oil company had to fund acquisitions through business revenue and good management. Not Petro-Canada, though - the Liberals decided that all of Canada would fund their wild growth via a gasoline tax.

I fully understand how devastating the NEP was, but goodness, that was 26 years ago. Times have changed a little since then. The NEP is not coming back. Get some counseling and get over it.



Not coming back? Can you say CARBON TAX AND KYOTO?

 

I like the west and all, but you guys (Alberta especially) have to stop bitching.. I would love to be taxed as little as you guys.. I understand that you have the best standard of living in the country!! Lowest unemployment rate as well. You have every little to complain about. All the people I know here in Ontario that have lived in Alberta said they loved it out there. Hell, i would move out there my self if not for family and my job.

Sounds to me like the rich are bitching because they could have been millionaires.

 

If you still have any doubt about the integrity of the liberal party, keep reading:

199 reasons not to vote Liberal quote:

1. Cancelling the Sea King replacement

2. Sponsorship scandal

3. Gun Registry

4. HRDC boondoggle

5. Problems with Transition Job Funds program

6. Tainted blood

7. Radwanski Spending Affair

8. Pearson Airport

9. GST Flip Flop

10. Airbus Investigation

11. Voting against Red Book promise of independent Ethics Commissioner

12. Irving fishing lodge stays/travel on Irving jets for cabinet ministers

13. Martin traveling on private corporate jets as Finance Minister

14. Don Boudria’s stay at Boulay owned chalet

15. Denis Coderre staying with Boulay

16. Alfonso Gagliano being appointed Ambassador to Denmark

17. Shawinigate

18. Claude Gauthier (PM’s friend)’s Transelec getting CIDA grant that was questioned by the Auditor General and even CIDA.

19. Liberal fundraiser Pierre Corbeil charged with fraud by RCMP after he approached several Quebec companies seeking federal job training grants and asking for payments to Liberal Party, having gotten the names from senior Quebec Liberal Minister, Marcel Massé.

20. Michel Dupuy, Heritage Minister, lobbying the CRTC.

21. Tom Wappel refusing to help blind veteran

22. Gagliano’s son benefiting from contracts from his father’s department

23. Gagliano’s former speechwriter, Michèle Tremblay was on a $5,000 a month retainer with the Canada Lands Company to provide speeches for the Minister. Former President John Grant let her go saying “we got nothing in return.” Grant claimed that all Crown Corporations reporting to Mr. Gagliano were told to put Ms. Tremblay on a monthly retainer.

24. Iltis replacement

25. Purchase of new Challenger jets for the Prime Minister and cabinet

26. NATO Flying Training program contract

27. Liberal friends appointed as IRB judges being investigated by RCMP

28. Hedy Fry’s imaginary burning crosses

29. Maria Minna’s improper municipal vote

 

30. Minna giving contracts to two former campaign staffers for public relations work for a conference that had already been held

31. Lawrence MacAulay and contracts directed to Holland College
32. Lawrence MacAulay and Tim Banks

33. Lawrence MacAulay hired his official agent, Everett Roche, for $70K, but Roche never did any work for it. (Oct 2002)

34. Art Eggleton and contracts to his ex-girlfriend

35. Copps’ aide Boyer’s spending habits

36. Collenette resigns for breach of ethical guidelines involving a letter he wrote to the Immigration and Refugee Board

37. APEC Inquiry

38. Andy Scott's 1998 resignation that came eight weeks too late, after a media circus wore him down for indiscreetly shooting his mouth off on an airplane.
39. Anti-American comments by Liberal MPs, officials, and the former Minister of Natural Resources.

40. Rock and the Apotex/Cipro affair

41. Rock giving Health Canada contract to car cleaning company.

42. Manley lobbying CIBC on behalf of Rod Bryden

43. Manley’s fundraiser suggesting donors to his leadership write it off as a business expense.

44. Manley using his pre-budget consultations as Minister of Finance to solicit support for his leadership bid.

45. Coderre’s relationship with Group Everest

46. Martin’s fundraiser/employee of Finance Jim Palmer

47. Martin’s “blind trust” and his relationship with CSL.

48. Gerry Byrne requesting fundraising money be sent to his home address, with no records kept.

49. Gerry Byrne pouring bulk of ACOA money into his own riding.

50. Virginia Fontaine Addictions Foundation

51. Prime Minister’s former assistant, Denise Tremblay’s huge travel expenses on Veterans Review and Appeal Board as Minister pleaded poverty to veterans’ widows.

52. Chrétien appointing Hon. Roger Simmons (former Trudeau minister convicted of income tax evasion) as Consul-General in Seattle

53. Chrétien trying to bring hit-and-run driver Carignan back into caucus.

54. The RCMP is investigating possible fraud and bribery within Industry Canada, involving possible "overpayments" to recipients of federal business grants. The probe centres on the National Research Council, which hands out federal grants to small- and medium-sized businesses.

55. More than half a dozen bureaucrats have been "removed" from their jobs at a Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) in Toronto following a police investigation into projects funded under one of the department's grants and contributions programs

56. Revenue Minister Elinor Caplan called in the RCMP and ordered a sweeping security review after four tax department computers were stolen containing confidential personal information on more than 120,000 Canadians.

57. More than $7 billion stashed in Foundations by Finance Minister Paul Martin with little or no accountability

58. Dhaliwal overseing Richmond-airport-Vancouver transit line while being owner of the airport limousine service

59. Tom Rosser, former Dhaliwal advisor lobbying Natural Resources department and minister on environmental issues only months after leaving government.

60. $5.3 million GG northern travel

61. GG budget doubles in 5 years

62. Robert Thibault giving a grant as ACOA minister to a wharf and boatyard where his brother-in-law has a monopoly.

63. Royal LePage contract, which the government was forced to cancel in the wake of serious concerns being raised.

64. Shutting down the Somalia Inquiry

65. Home heating rebate, which was sent to prisoners and deceased.

66. Martin firing Bernard Dussault, Chief Actuary of CPP

67. Ethel Blondin-Andrew buys fur coat on government credit card

68. Chrétien’s imaginary homeless friend.

69. Liberal MP Rick Laliberte’s extensive travel budget

 

70. Liberal Senator Thompson living in Mexico

71. Vendetta against former BDC President François Beaudoin

72. The flag give-away – which estimates suggest might now have cost $45 million instead of the promised $6 million, and reportedly involved fake invoices.

73. Gagliano’s two week trip, at taxpayers’ expense, for a two day event with the head of the Royal Canadian Mint and Maurizio Caruso.

74. Secretary of State for multiculturalism and status of women Sheila Finestone using government car (which junior ministers are only allowed to use for government business) to drive home to Montreal, which even Sheila Copps criticized. (Ottawa Citizen, May 22, 1994)

75. Liberal MP Jag Bhaduria’s hate mail to his former employers, wishing that they had been shot by killer Marc Lepine

76. Liberal MP Jag Bhaduria making false claims about his academic qualifications.

77. Paul Martin and Maria Minna attending fundraising dinner for group linked to Tamil Tigers in May 2000 (National Post, Sept. 8th, 2001).

78. David Anderson, as National Revenue Minister, suing the government for lost wages after being removed as IRB appointee by Conservative government seeking $454,000 from a deficit-ravaged federal treasury. (Vancouver Sun, July
24, 2004). Anderson eventually agreed to drop the suit.

79. David Anderson suggesting that the BC doesn’t need extra House of Commons seats, because they wouldn't be worth much given the poor quality of most West Coast MPs. (Vancouver Sun, July 24, 2004)

80. A consultant on an executive interchange program persuaded Natural Resources to undertake a $700-million reorganization of its research facilities for which no business case had been made. The program was fast-tracked because he had developed a social relationship with the deputy minister. He was eventually charged with diverting $525,000 to a numbered company he controlled. (Globe and Mail, May 30, 2005)
And the list continues under Prime Minister Martin:

81. Raid on reporter Juliet O’Neill’s home by RCMP

82. Permanent Resident Cards

83. Judy Sgro going on vacation as cards became mandatory and landed immigrants were left stranded

84. Minister Frulla’s renovations

85. Pay raises for chiefs-of-staff in ministers offices, while spending is frozen for public service.

86. The government’s changing numbers on how much money has gone to CSL

87. Lobbyists in Paul Martin’s transition team being allowed to return to lobbying immediately, after being involved in process of picking new cabinet and senior staff.

88. Minister Comuzzi’s anti-Quebec comments

89. Martin government using closure after only six days in the House of Commons, followed by using time allocation in the Senate.

90. Problems with DND’s contracts with Compaq Computers that may have cost taxpayers up to $159 million for work not performed.

91. Martin using government jets to tour the country campaigning before election, spending up to $1 million for air travel alone.

92. Martin’s relationship with Earnscliffe

93. Questionable contracts to Earnscliffe

94. The appointment of former Liberal MLA Howard Sapers as the Correctional Investigator of Canada

95. Pierre Pettigrew’s flip flopping on health care

96. David Dingwall’s expenses as head of Royal Canadian Mint

97. Liberals planning to give David Dingwall a severance package after he resigned

98. The secret National Unity Fund reserve

99. Calling an early election after earlier promising first to get to the bottom of the sponsorship scandal

 

100. Martin suggesting changes to legislation and introducing bill that benefited CSL, despite concerns from his own Deputy Minister that he was in a conflict-of-interest (Ottawa Citizen, May 26, 2004)

101. $99 million Public Works contract that went to company overseen by Liberal fundraiser and future Senator Paul Massicotte (Montreal Gazette, June 26, 2004)

102. Parliamentary Secretary Dan McTeague’s 3-person, $224 trip to a Pizzeria

103. Immigration Minister Judy Sgro’s staff being allowed to stay on “extended travel” benefits, letting them bill taxpayers’ for thousands of dollars in hotel rooms and meals, because they didn’t want to move from Toronto to Ottawa until after the election.

104. Correctional Service of Canada Commissioner Lucie McClung’s travel expenses

105. Contracting irregularities on more than two dozen projects at DND worth tens of millions of dollars, showing over-billing, profit excesses, unauthorized additional work, lack of accounting records, spiralling cost overruns, etc. (Globe and Mail, July 14, 2004).

106. ACOA Minister Joe McGuire canceling ACOA loan and grant to ABL Industries Inc. because it would compete with company in his riding. (Fredericton Daily Gleaner, July 17, 2004).

107. Andy Mitchell’s chief of staff’s $22,000 in expenses to commute to Ottawa (Toronto Star, August 2, 2004).

108. André Ouellet’s travel and hospitality expenses at Canada Post.

109. Government delaying release of audit on Ouellet until after the election (Globe and Mail, July 31, 2004).

110. Martin’s principle secretary Francis Fox’s sister getting untendered contracts (The Province, July 27, 2004).

111. Continuing problems in advertising files at Public Works (Ottawa Sun, July 26, 2004).

112. A Liberal Party of Canada fundraising letter signed by Paul Martin, asking potential contributors to offer $7,000, $7,100 or $7,200 in contributions – far in excess of donation limits passed by the very same Liberal government

113. Liberal Senator Raymond Lavigne violating municipal bylaws. Municipality pursuing legal action against him. (Ottawa Citizen, August 19, 2004).

114. Spa Days for inmates approved by the Correctional Service of Canada, which on Aug. 21 invited inmates at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ont., to dabble with manicures, pedicures and aromatherapy, not to mention cups of tea served in fine china, all accompanied by a harp serenade. (National Post, September 9, 2004).

115. Five employees in the ''overwhelmed'' immigration section of Canada's embassy in Iran have been fired over the past year after they each were caught breaching federal ethics rules (National Post, September 13, 2004).

116. Questionable contracts and spending from the Canada Investment and Savings group set up by Martin in 1996 (Globe and Mail, September 13, 2004)
117. Questionable contracting practices at Canada Information Office (The Hill Times, September 13, 2004).

118. A top Canadian diplomat based in China has resigned amid reports he is being investigated for allegedly taking bribes to help Chinese nationals enter Canada illegally. (Vancouver Sun, September 22, 2004).

119. Abuse of government credit cards by staff at Fisheries Department (CP Wire, September 24, 2004).

120. Canada’s questionable hiring of the niece of Syria's foreign affairs minister to work at the embassy in Damascus (Globe and Mail, October 5, 2004)

121. Hélène Scherrer using Challenger to fly to Banff during election to give partisan speech

122. Abuse of Challengers by Paul Martin and various ministers (eg. Andy Mitchell, Claudette Bradshaw)

123. Abuse of Challenger jets for political business instead of government business (Le Devoir, October 4, 2005)

124. Paul Martin taking Challenger jets to Liberal fundraisers

125. Challenger food bill of $508 per flight

126. Expenses during election filed by aide to Ralph Goodale

127. Questionable expenses during election filed by aides to Judy Sgro

128. Ongoing problems and safety concerns with the submarine program

129. Various federal departments reported in excess of $1.1 million in theft of computers in 2003, but the information is potentially more valuable than the hardware (Vancouver Sun, October 14, 2004).

130. According to the latest public-accounts-of-Canada reports for the period March 2004 and March 2005, over 700 laptops, desktops and central processing units went missing from 35 federal government agencies -- worth $6 million. (The Province, October 19, 2005)

131. Federal government has lost track of $587 million a year in EI overpayments and underpayments at the Department of Human Resources. (Ottawa Citizen, October 12, 2004). However, the government defends itself by stating that in fact it has only lost track of $25 million a year and collects the other overpayments. (Ottawa Citizen, October 13, 2004)

132. $133,000 grant to a Toronto film company that used classified ads to search for the "perfect" *****. (National Post, October 14, 2004).

133. Man convicted of fraud against government hired to teach ethics course to public servants (National Post, October 20, 2004).

134. Public Works selling confiscated grow-op equipment to drug traffickers. (National Post, October 21, 2004).

135. Pressure by Liberal MPs and ministers on ACOA to make funding decisions based on politics (New Brunswick Telegraph Journal, October 25, 2004).

136. Paul Martin’s Director of Communications Scott Reid insulting Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador (Toronto Star, October 28, 2004)

137. The Martin government spent $127,223 on a poll last February testing ways to diffuse negative reaction to the bombshell auditor-general's report -- which included the finding the Liberals ignored their own rules prohibiting the use of tax dollars on partisan polls (Vancouver Sun, November 8, 2004).

138. Judy Sgro’s campaign volunteer (a stripper) getting ministerial permit

139. Sgro’s senior policy advisor going to strip club to meet with owner to discuss bringing more strippers into Canada. (National Post, November 25, 2004). Subsequent revelations indicate that he went to at least one other strip club to conduct similar meetings (Toronto Sun, December 7, 2004)

140. Sgro giving out details of private immigration files, violating Privacy Act

141. Allegations that Sgro broke the elections law in failing to properly identify the source of a campaign contribution. (Toronto Star, December 8, 2004).

142. Revelations that the program to bring in foreign exotic dancers was created under pressure from organized crime (National Post, December 18, 2004)

143. Irwin Cotler appointing his former chief-of-staff to federal court (National Post, November 23, 2004).

144. Heritage Minister Liza Frulla giving grant to magazine that put her on the cover and made her honourary president (Ottawa Citizen, November 25, 2004)

145. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointing Liberal MP John Harvard as Lt-Governor of Manitoba, in order to get him to step aside for “star” candidate Glen Murray.

146. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointing Liberal MP Yvon Charbonneau to UNESCO, in order to get him to step aside for Martin crony Pablo Rodriguez.

147. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointing former Liberal MP Karen Kraft-Sloan as Ambassador for the Environment. (Department of Foreign Affairs Press Release, February 16, 2005).

148. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointing defeated Liberal candidate Dave Haggard as the chair of a newly created Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship. (OIC 2005-0001)

149. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointed his friend Dennis Dawson to the Senate

 

150. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointed his former Principal Secretary Francis Fox to the Senate

151. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointed disgraced former cabinet minister Art Eggleton to the Senate

152. Martin and his wife complaining about having to live in 24 Sussex (Edmonton Journal, November 17, 2004)

153. Millennium Bureau spending done with same lack of controls and oversight of sponsorship program

154. The RCMP has charged a senior Immigration Canada manager and four accomplices in an alleged bribes-for-status scheme in which Arab immigrants paid up to $25,000 to have their claims fast-tracked and approved (National Post, December 17, 2004)

155. Making widows of RCMP officers killed in the line of duty pay for their husbands’ funerals (Under pressure from the Conservative Party, the government reversed this policy)

156. Martin patronage-appointee Jim Walsh breaking ethics guidelines and attending Liberal Christmas Party (St. John’s Telegram, January 20, 2005).

157. Port authority losing more than $60,000 in public funds on the stock market. When Central Cape Breton Community Ventures took over the port in Iona in 2000, the private agency deposited only $5,000 of the $245,000 it received from Transport Canada into a designated bank account. The federal funding was meant to cover the port's maintenance, insurance and professional services costs (Chronicle-Herald, January 31, 2005).

158. Canadian flag lapel pins being made in China. Only under pressure, Scott Brison flip flops and agrees to have them made in Canada again.

159. Questionable dealings around the privatization of the Digby Wharf, which even Liberal MP Robert Thibault wants the RCMP to investigate (Chronicle-Herald, February 10, 2005).

160. Adrienne Clarkson spending $17,500 to evaluate cleaning at Rideau Hall (Ottawa Sun, February 19, 2005)

161. Martin patronage appointee Glen Murray breaking ethics guidelines and attending Liberal Convention as delegate

162. Martin ignoring parliamentary committee and appointing Glen Murray as chair of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy

163. Marlene Jennings, the Parliamentary Secretary for Canada-U.S. relations, making anti-American remarks

164. Government knowing about details of torture and murder of Zahra Kazemi back in November and still sending ambassador back to Iran

165. Government knowing about details of torture and murder of Zahra Kazemi back in November but doing nothing

166. Tens of thousands of dollars were spent on questionable acquisitions at CFB Borden (Ottawa Sun, April 18, 2005).

167. Joe Volpe keeping stripper visa program operating, despite having promised to shut it down (CTV.ca, March 5, 2005)

168. Jean Lapierre acting as lobbyist without registering

169. Joe Volpe trying to intimidating Sikh community

170. In the spring of 2003, the RCMP investigated allegations that Liberal MP Gurbax Malhi had requested favours and financial support for Paul Martin's 2003 leadership campaign in exchange for helping Indian nationals get these temporary resident permits (Globe and Mail, March 10, 2005).

171. Liberals spending $443,237 to change the name Passport Office to Passport Canada (Montreal Gazette, April 21, 2005).

172. Ken Dryden’s chief of staff charged with careless driving (Ottawa Citizen, March 22, 2005)

173. Liberals trying to buy off Conservative MPs with offers of patronage positions

174. Liberals handling of the submarine program

175. Public Service Integrity Officer’s travel expenses (Ottawa Sun, May 4, 2005)

176. Liberal Senator Michel Biron going to hearing to support killer Karla Homolka (CTV News, June 9, 2005)

177. Public Works contract watchdog Consulting and Audit Canada violating contracting rules (Toronto Star, July 4, 2005)

178. Technology Partnerships Canada rules being violated to pay lobbyists (Globe and Mail, June 24, 2005)

179. Former Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Robert Nault is working as a paid lobbyist for Nelson House First Nation in what some allege is an apparent violation of a federal code of conduct. Among the federal departments Nault is lobbying is the Indian and Northern Affairs department he headed until December 2003, according to a lobbying report Nault filed with the federal government. Nault registered as a lobbyist for Nelson House, now known as Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, on July 18, 2005 -- one year and seven months after leaving his cabinet post. Under the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders, Nault is barred from working for any entity with which his department had "direct and significant official dealings" for two years after leaving office. He is also barred for two years from lobbying his former department or any of his former cabinet colleagues (Winnipeg Free Press, September 14, 2005)
180. According to documents obtained by the Globe and Mail, Pierre Pettigrew billed Canadian taxpayers for $10,000 for trips for his driver in 2001 and 2002. Pettigrew took his driver to South America and Europe, even though the driver didn’t do any driving on the trips. (Globe and Mail, September 14, 2005)
181. Joe Volpe’s questionable hospitality expenses (Globe and Mail, September 21, 2005)

182. According to media reports, Industry Canada has frozen federal financing for research projects by an Ontario biotechnology firm pending the outcome of an investigation into the company's agreement to pay $350,000 in lobbying “success” fees to former Liberal cabinet minister David Dingwall. Such contingency fee payments violate Technology Partnership Canada rules. (Globe and Mail, September 23, 2005)

183. Expenses of chairman of the Royal Canadian Mint Emmanuel Triassi, who also approved David Dingwall’s expenses (Globe and Mail, October 4, 2005)

184. Last week, Public Works was also silent on details of another case involving forensic accounting. Government accounts published on Thursday showed a department employee had embezzled $3.45 million from Public Works office in Koblenz, Germany. Even though the employee was convicted and jailed in Germany, Public Works will not name him or give any details of the crime (Ottawa Citizen, October 4, 2005)

185. The federal government inadvertently revealed yesterday that it is conducting a large-scale forensic accounting probe into "possibly criminal matters" when it published details of a contract intended for a Quebec accounting firm. The notice awarding a $2-million contract for forensic accounting services was published on the government's tendering website, MERX. It gave notice that Consulting and Audit Canada was planning to award the sole-source contract to Leclerc Juricomptable, a Quebec City firm specializing in forensic work and litigation support. The contract award notice said the work had to be sole-sourced to Leclerc because it is "not in the public interest to jeopardize the current investment in the investigation or to significantly increase the risk to a successful completion of the investigation into possibly criminal matters." A spokesman for the Department of PublicWorks and Government Services said yesterday that the notice was published "prematurely" and would be withdrawn last night. He could not say, however, what is under investigation, but said the contract was not tied to another scandal that has kept Quebec forensic accountants busy over the past years. "It's not related to sponsorship or Gomery, that I can tell you," said spokesman Pierre Teotonio (Ottawa Citizen, October 4, 2005). It was subsequently revealed that the department involved was CIDA (CP Wire, October 4, 2005)

186. Questions about campaign funds from Raymond Chan’s campaign going to his companies (Vancouver Sun, October 7, 2005)

187. Questions about a possible conflict-of-interest between Chan’s activities as minister on behalf of possible business associates (Vancouver Sun, October 7, 2005)

188. Questions about the report that Chan filed with the Ethics Commissioner (Vancouver Sun, October 7, 2005)

189. Government giving out contract that specifies no paper trail to be left in government offices (Vancouver Province, October 11, 2005)

190. Questionable travel expenses at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (CP, October 16, 2005)

191. Two employees at DFO fired for making fraudulent travel claims (CP, The Province, October 18, 2005).

192. Lobbyist registrar Michael Nelson has launched investigations of four people for eight possible breaches of the ethics guidelines for lobbyists, the first such investigations ever launched under the code. (Globe and Mail, October 18, 2005)
193. According to media reports, the federal government has terminated two contracts with a consulting firm that used to be run by Liberal MP David Smith and now run by his wife, following a forensic audit of the contracting practices at a federal agency (Globe and Mail, October 19, 2005)

194. ATI requests by prisoners for information on prison system and guards, when information is actually disclosed

195. Liberal candidate Richard Mahoney lobbying for satellite radio company for a month before registering (Ottawa Citizen, October 19, 2005)

196. Delays and ballooning costs mean a giant software project at National Defence will eclipse its original budget and won't meet its goals until 2011 -- if at all. An internal audit obtained by Canadian Press raises red flags about a new system designed to streamline computer tracking of military inventory and purchases. MASIS -- or Materiel Acquisition Support Information System -- started in 1997 as a $147-million undertaking. What began as a focused effort to cover a single equipment category in each of the navy, army and air force soon mushroomed. By 2003, Defence officials estimated MASIS would be in place by 2006 at a cost of $325 million, more than twice its forecast budget. A full introduction of the complex software has now been extended to 2011. The heavily censored May 2005 internal audit, released under the Access to Information Act, catalogues a litany of "revised planned milestones.'' "The prime contract has been amended six times, each time increasing amounts for professional service fees,'' it says. (CP, The Record, October 24, 2005)

197. Hospitality and travel expenses of executives at CMHC (Journal de Montréal, October 24, 2005)

198. Questions about Squamish land deal lease (The Province, October 26, 2005)

199. Liberals handling of tainted water at Kashechewan First Nation