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No_hite_pls
Joined: 05 Mar 2007
Location: Don't hate me because I'm right
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 Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:47 am Post subject: The most expensive 72 hours in Canadian history! |
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Summit costs hit $1.1B
By CBC News
CBC News
The cost of hosting the G8 and G20 summits next month in Ontario now stands at $1.1 billion, including $933 million for security, federal documents show.
The cost of hosting the G8 and G20 summits next month in Ontario now stands at $1.1 billion and further outlays are likely, federal documents show.
The price tag includes $160 million for hospitality, infrastructure, food safety and extra staffing. That amount is in addition to the $933-million security bill the Tories revealed earlier this week.
"This might be the most expensive 72 hours in Canadian history," Liberal MP Mark Holland said.
But Public Safety Minister Vic Toews defended the costs for security, saying Canada has an obligation to make sure world leaders are safe while visiting Toronto and Huntsville, Ont.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff blamed the Conservative government's "poor management" for the ballooning cost estimates.
Ignatieff said Wednesday that Canadians can't understand how the government's initial earmarking of $179 million for security has multiplied in the space of a couple months.
Security costs at previous summits
* G8 summit Japan, October 2008: $381 million
* G8 summit Gleneagles, Scotland, July 2005: $110 million
* G20 summit London, April 2009: $30 million
* G20 summit Pittsburgh, September 2009: $18 million US
"These numbers are off the scale with other G8s and G20s," Ignatieff told reporters outside his party's weekly caucus meeting in Ottawa.
"We're three weeks away from the event where Canada will be on the world stage, and I want to be proud of Canada. For now, I'm embarrassed."
Not a cost overrun: Toews
In an interview with CBC News earlier in the day, Toews defended the security estimate as the "most efficient and effective" use of public money for Canada's "unprecedented" hosting of back-to-back international summits. He also insisted the estimate was not a cost overrun.
"This has been budgeted for, and the money is released as it is required," Toews said.
The estimated cost for security over the course of seven days in June dwarfs the amount spent at previous international summits and is expected to surpass the $898 million spent during the Vancouver Olympics - which spanned 14 days.
The official price tag for security at last year's G20 summit in Pittsburgh was listed at $18 million US, according to municipal and U.S. federal officials.
But Toews said comparing the costs for security at this year's summits with the amount spent at the Olympics is like comparing "apples and oranges" because the G8 and G20 meetings, with so many heads of countries visiting at once, require a very "different type" of security.
"Granted there were some heads of nations at the Olympics, but nowhere in the configuration or the numbers that are going to be here," Toews said. "I don't think you can say, 'Well, because it's seven days instead of 14 days, it should be half the price.' It simply doesn't work that way."
The face-to-face meetings, Toews said, allow leaders to deal with issues that simply can't be handled over the phone or by video-conference.
When asked by the Liberals during Wednesday's question period to explain the costs, Toews said the government believes the experts when they say such a level of security is necessary.
"I understand that the Liberals don't believe in securing Canadians or the visitors here," Toews told the House. "We're different."
NDP Leader Jack Layton said the Conservatives have "quadrupled" funding for security, and some of that money could have gone to the government's G8 maternal health initiative.
"You can do a lot of things with a billion dollars," Layton told the House.
In response, Prime Minister Stephen Harper repeated the government's position that Canadians do not want a debate on this matter.
Single venue would have saved money: Liberals
G8 leaders will gather in Huntsville, Ont., late next month, then join other world leaders for the G20 summit in the heart of downtown Toronto. The security money will be used for planning, accommodation, information technology and working with security partners to protect leaders and their delegations.
The additional $160 million in costs includes about $100 million for office and meeting spaces and pre-summit meetings. Another $1.2 million is to ensure the food served to dignitaries is safe and healthy, while $10 million has been spent on infrastructure and about $50 million has been paid to spruce up the Huntsville area.
Ignatieff ridiculed the Conservatives for switching the G20 meeting venue from Huntsville to Toronto months into the planning stage.
"At first they said Huntsville, then they said, 'Oops, Huntsville is too small and too many flies. Let's high-tail it down to Toronto,'" he said. "This is the confusion we're talking about."
Holland said the government could have reduced security by hosting both summits at a single location, instead of the "logistical nightmare" of two separate venues hundreds of kilometres apart. But Toews said the dates of the summits were actually moved closer together to save money.
Holland said security for the summits is critical, but the government shouldn't be handed a blank cheque.
"We're not talking about cutting corners; we're talking about proper planning," Holland told CBC News on Wednesday. "They tried to force a round peg into a square hole."
Security plans for the G20 meeting in Toronto feature two fenced areas - an outside fence that will close off a large section of the downtown and disrupt access to homes and workplaces, and an inner fence that will control access to hotels and the convention centre.
Later Wednesday, Chris McCluskey, a spokesman for Toews, accused Ignatieff of failing to understand the cost of the summits.
"His comments indicate he has no understanding of the parliamentary budget process, no understanding of the reality of providing security to world leaders, and no understanding of what it takes to have Canada take its rightful place on the world stage," he said in an email.
"The only embarrassment here is Mr. Ignatieff's ill-informed commentary on an event he should be supporting." |
What a massive waste of money. We can't they use the UN building in New York for these meetings or have a web meeting.
Last years G20 in Pittsburgh cost 18 million but in Toronto it costs 100 times more! Massive miss management!
What is Harper doing?
That's why I yawn whenever I here Cons talk about over-spending in government. They are just as capable of this as the other parties. |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 12:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Can't they use Skype? Send some emails? Do we really need to have these powwows all the time? |
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Mr. Pink
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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| I doubt most Canadians are aware of the cost, or they would be complaining big time. We don't need those meetings in Canada, and we can't afford a billion dollars to host them. WTF is Harper thinking? I can't believe a minority government leader has the brass to pull off something like this. I guess having an opposition party with a neutered leader means a minority government can get away with blowing so much of the tax payers money! |
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Mosley
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is going fairly ballistic over this. For one thing, they aren't buying the line that a video conference wouldn't be an acceptable substitute.
Painful irony of this "conference": debt "reduction" is at the top of the agenda!! |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 4:59 pm Post subject: Re: The most expensive 72 hours in Canadian history! |
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In response, Prime Minister Stephen Harper repeated the government's position that Canadians do not want a debate on this matter.
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I wonder which Canadians he's talking about, who see their government spending a billion dollars of public funds on matters that other nations have spent mere tens of millions, and then actively don't want the matter debated. I mean, I'm sure there's plenty of apathy, but active opposition to debate?
I agree with mises. Send some emails, save a billion dollars. Or even just let another country host it. Where's the gain in being the host? |
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No_hite_pls
Joined: 05 Mar 2007
Location: Don't hate me because I'm right
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 5:24 pm Post subject: Re: The most expensive 72 hours in Canadian history! |
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In response, Prime Minister Stephen Harper repeated the government's position that Canadians do not want a debate on this matter.
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That is such an arrogant comment by Harper. |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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Welsh Canadian
Joined: 03 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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Most Canadian's get on with their lives and leave politics alone.
There was a comedian who saw a baby in America with a shirt that said "The next future president" Or something like that.
You would never see a shirt in Canadian saying "the next future Prime Minister" on it because Canadians aspire to so much more. |
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visitorq
Joined: 11 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 12:33 am Post subject: |
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| Wow, I seriously can't understand how security could cost $900 million. It just makes no sense whatsoever. Imagine you pay each security guard a few thousand dollars each for the 3 days of service. That would amount to 300,000 guards - a literal army. Obviously that's unlikely. But beyond that, what the hell could they spend that much money on? Are they setting up some ultra hi-tech security grid with cameras everywhere and launching a new satellite into space to monitor the new armored compound they're building? Even that would probably cost nowhere near that amount. It seems completely absurd to me. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 1:03 am Post subject: |
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| visitorq wrote: |
| Wow, I seriously can't understand how security could cost $900 million. |
My guess - RCMP overtime.
My RCMP bud got paid massive amounts for doing security at the Olympics. |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 1:28 am Post subject: |
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| Captain Corea wrote: |
| visitorq wrote: |
| Wow, I seriously can't understand how security could cost $900 million. |
My guess - RCMP overtime.
My RCMP bud got paid massive amounts for doing security at the Olympics. |
How much is "massive amounts" though? $900 million dollars is immense. According to wikipedia there are under 30,000 members of the RCMP. Even paying every single member $10,000 for this event would cost under $300 million. And since they're obviously not going to use anywhere near every single member, they could actually pay them double or even triple that without reaching that $300 million dollar mark, much less $900 million.
The Canadian people should be outraged. This is misappropriation of public funds, pure and simple. |
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conrad2
Joined: 05 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 1:48 am Post subject: |
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| For 900 million they could give every Canadian man, woman, and child 30 bucks each. Just tell them to buy a bottle of Canadian Club or an eighth of weed and stay home. Security issues solved. |
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 4:54 am Post subject: |
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I was security staff in 2002 at Canannascis (sp?) Alberta G8 conference.
900 million does sound excessive, but I know where a lot of the cost goes. They deploy a lot of soldiers, including reserves. In nearby areas, in case the fit hits the shan, they have so many helicopters and airplanes ready.
RCMP too, ammo, maybe some special training that cost a bunch. |
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Mosley
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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| Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Any of you know if the details of the expenditures are public? I'd like to go line by line and see where the cash was spent. A billion dollars is an obscene amount of money for no measurable economic benefit. |
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