Conservative Fiscal Mismanagement - June 9, 2010 Update

Pondscam, G20 spending and security issues, Jets.

If you haven't been living in a cave, then you have probably heard about most of these issues.
To summarize:

Pondscam/G20
The Harper Conservative government has decided to spend $1.9 million on a temporary pavilion that will included a fake lake - right beside Lake Ontario! It is only for visiting journalists and people cleared for G20 access! They have also spent millions more on various things around cottage country (in ridings with Conservative MPs), supposedly for the couple of days that the G8 visitors will be in Huntsville, but in many areas far away from Huntsville! And, of course you know that the bill for security for the few days of the G8/G20 is about $1.1 BILLION! - which is many times more than the most expensive bill for security in other countries previous to this summit (including the USA and Britain).

Security issues for G8/G20
The Harper Conservatives got the RCMP to select a security company for the summit security. The company they selected is from the USA. Security companies working in Ontario must be licensed to work here. It usually takes months to clear the license application. The RCMP and the Conservatives didn't think about that. So, they have left the Ontario government to scramble to speed up the licensing process.

Jets
Canada, up until the Paul Martin Liberal and now the Harper Conservative government, has a military know for its peacekeeping role in the world. For this purpose, you would think that you would not need a lot of fighter jets. Admittedly, we probably need to modernize our military equipment. But 65 new fighter jets! You would not need this many new fighter jets unless you were seriously threatened with invasion from a neighbouring nation (which we aren't), or, you wanted to wage an offensive war against another nation. We are involved as aggressors in an illegal war in Afghanistan. And we are planning on pulling out next year. So, what do we need all these jets for (which cost an awful lot of money: $9 BILLION)?

Links
Pondscam/G8/G20
Pondscam
Fake lakes and fiscal mismanagement
Lemme get this straight; more tax dollars so Steve can pretend to be green?
Will Stephen Harper's Conservatives DROWN in the fake lake - er - I mean the Water Feature?
Dumbest excuse put forth to defend Conservative fake lake
Stephen Harper and the Drowning Pool
One other thing $1 billion buys
The Fake Lake
From fountains to gardens to buried hydrants, it's a new world in the near North - Toronto Star
Water's for fighting (Central Canada Edition)
Conservatives get caught using G8/G20 as a reason to throw Billions into key federal ridings
Mea Culpa: It's a $1.9 million alley, not just a fake lake
photos of projects in cottage country - Toronto Star
Mad hatters, ScamWow - and the summit circus continues

Security company hired by RCMP for G20 not licensed in Ontario - Globe & Mail

Jets
Canada needs 65 fighter jets?