Taxpayers Release Top 100 Tory Handouts
OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has compiled a list of the top 100 grants and contributions paid out by the Conservative government during its first budget year. The list tallies handouts for the 2006/07 fiscal year, which began on April 1, 2006, and ended on March 31, 2007.
The 100 largest payments total $3.3-billion and were doled out by 16 different government departments and agencies. These payments represent only a small part of Ottawa’s annual budget of $25-billion spent on grants, contributions and subsidies. (According to the finance department, the government’s total grant/subsidy budget accounts for just over 11 cents of each tax dollar spent.) Click here for the Top 100 handouts compiled by combing the public disclosure of grants and contributions.
“While some public money is spent on legitimate initiatives and activities that fall within public expectations, funds are also spent questionably, inefficiently and in some cases, outright irresponsibly,” stated CTF federal director John Williamson.
Noteworthy Observations on Corporate Welfare, Transfers to Natives, QANGOs & Toronto:
The two largest handouts went to Pratt & Whitney Canada, the first for $213-million and second for $137-million. Other notable examples of corporate welfare include $47.5-million to the Mont Tremblant ski resort (12th overall ranking), $27-million for a soccer stadium in Toronto (34th spot), and Alcan pocketed $19.1-million (#75).
“Money is funneled to native bands despite the lack of accountability to Canadian taxpayers. Canada’s auditor-general is still not permitted to scrutinize those dollars,” stated Williamson. In its totality, the federal government currently provides over $9-billion a year to aboriginal groups across Canada, many of these transfers appear throughout the list of top 100 grants and contributions.
An alphabet soup of international agencies is prominently featured throughout the subsidy inventory. QANGOs (quasi-autonomous non-government organizations) and advocacy groups include: UNFPA (#14), UNODC (#33), OCHA (#41), UNDP (#57 & 58), WFP (#62 & 80), WHO (#63), DID (#64), CCA (#67), IADB (#70), International Planned Parenthood (#89), PAHO (#91), UNICEF (#92), and the World Bank (spots #6, 59, 60, 61, 65, 71, 85, 93 & 94). There is taxpayer-to-government funding as Ottawa transfers money to Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Zambia (#56, 68, 69 & 79).
Most cities can only dream of the subsidies sent to Toronto: $120-million to the Canadian Television Fund (#5), the Toronto International Film Festival (#39) collected $25-million, over $24-million was handed to the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization (#42) and another $21-million to the Toronto Harbourfront Centre (#52) [Ed. note: how does a waterfront differ from a harbourfront?], the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (#84) obtained $18-million and $17-million went to Historica Foundation of Canada (#96). Of course, Toronto Mayor David Miller will say it is not enough.
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1 comment:
I like to understand please how that in any way changes the fact that the tory government has been found to be spending just as badly as the liberals?
Personally, it's of little surprise that a federal government would invest in a number of major projects in the country's largest city, and the biggest tax generator!
But, I would want any federal government, to do so responsibly, and just because I live in Toronto does not mean I GIVE ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT A PASS ON IT'S SPENDING IN TORONTO.
Did you catch that?
So what part was not clear in my point? What facts changes the irresponsible spending??? And where have I indicated the large Toronto expenditures are ok?
thank you.
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