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The Conservative government’s economic stimulus spending spree that is pouring billions of tax dollars into road construction projects may turn out to be an offer the Mafia couldn’t refuse. Even as Stephen Harper and his ministers are racing around the country showering public funds on just about every project with a cement mixer, Quebec is engulfed in a growing scandal over Mafia control of infrastructure projects. In some excellent investigative reporting by the CBC, a credible government insider-turned-whistleblower claims Montreal’s Italian Mafia controls 80% of the contracts for road construction in the city, much of which is certain to involve federal stimulus money. The CBC report included detailed descriptions of bid-rigging of contracts, a practice that dramatically inflates overall project costs borne by taxpayers. One published expert on the Italian Mafia cautions that the phenomenon is not limited to Quebec, that the tentacles of organized crime are into major construction projects in other provinces across the country. The fact that organized crime in Quebec is nothing new will likely be cold comfort to the taxpayers from Victoria to Gander who are now at risk of being fleeced by Luigi the Enforcer. Even the parliamentary budget officer, Kevin Page, complains that the Harper government is fogging its spending on infrastructure and other economic stimulus programs beyond the point of accounting recognition. Whatever the figure, it is a huge amount of loot that is being poured into roads, bridges and other government construction mega-projects. The Conservative government’s latest economic update report, for instance, boasts that since the beginning of this year, more than $7.6 billion in funding has been committed as the federal share of provincial and municipal infrastructure projects worth over $21 billion. So far, the Harper government is refusing to get involved in the growing Quebec construction fiasco, claiming it is a provincial issue. But those whose money is at risk may beg to differ. The next time some shameless Conservative cabinet minister shows up at an infrastructure announcement with one of those giant novelty cheques signed by the prime minister, taxpayers might be excused for asking how much of the real cash might be going to the Mob. http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2148176
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OTTAWA – A $50-million federal fund set up to build infrastructure for next June’s G8 summit is being spent partly on projects that are far from the summit site and with tenuous links to the high-powered meeting. Industry Minister Tony Clement announced the low-profile fund last February, explaining that the fund was being “provided for G8 Summit related infrastructure, including a G8 Centre in Huntsville.” Huntsville, Ont., will host the meeting. The town of 18,000 is in Clement’s riding, about 215 kilometres north of Toronto, and is best known for being at the heart of prime cottage country for Toronto’s wealthier class. Huntsville has received the largest share of the money, mainly $16.7 million for a new G8 Centre, $9 million for a summit management office and $2.4 million for improvements to the road by the resort where the meeting is to take place.
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But a partial list of the fund’s projects, and a series of news releases, shows that many of the towns in Clement’s riding are receiving money from the fund to build band shells, plant gardens and put up signs and lights. Research on the spending was carried out independently by The Canadian Press alone, but the Liberal party said it would release its own analysis after being contacted for comment on numbers. One news release announced $1.1 million to upgrade a street and replace trees in Parry Sound, Ont., some 80 kilometres away from the summit site. Clement also announced $194,000 for a large “welcome granite stone” and new lighting for a concert stage, also in Parry Sound. The area just south of Parry Sound is receiving $745,000 for signs, fencing and landscaping in the towns of Rosseau, Humphrey and Orrville. The towns of Port Severn and South River, many kilometres from the summit, are each getting $65,000 for signs and landscaping, too. “They’re somewhat disconnected (from the summit), for sure, Parry Sound and Port Severn,” said Huntsville Mayor Claude Doughty. Bala Falls Road, a small road about 50 kilometres from the summit via another back road, is getting $400,000 for improvements. “How is this justified? In what way is this going to improve the G8?” said Liberal MP Gerard Kennedy, who said he has completed a separate analysis of the G8 fund, with similar conclusions.
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There are rumblings that, despite the $50 million set aside for in summit infrastructure, the region can’t handle such a large meeting, and that Toronto would be far more convenient. It’s also uncertain whether the leaders and their delegations will stick with their original plan of getting to Huntsville by flying to North Bay, Ont. The city is about 100 kilometres north of Huntsville. The airport there is receiving $5 million from the G8 Infrastructure Fund. But there are concerns that, with only one runway, it won’t be big enough to handle so many foreign dignitaries, and that Toronto’s airport is better equipped and more secure, sources said.
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Clement’s riding is already the subject of scrutiny for receiving funding for dozens and dozens of projects through the federal government’s array of stimulus packages. According to an analysis released by the Prime Minister’s Office, his Parry Sound-Muskoka riding received $3.2 million for 33 projects under the Recreational Infrastructure program. A list of other infrastructure funds posted on the Transport Canada website points to at least 42 other building projects worth more than $28 million, sprinkled throughout the riding as a form of stimulus. Those numbers were compiled by The Canadian Press. And even though the area has a fairly low unemployment rate, it has also received millions from the Community Adjustment Fund, set up to help struggling small towns adapt to the global economic crisis. The G8 Infrastructure Fund is in addition to that money. There is no central spot on the government’s websites to find a list of projects paid for by the fund, nor is there a list of criteria. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/091027/national/stimulus_summit
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The Federal Government, the Quebec Government and the Mayor of Montreal have all rejected calls for a public inquiry even though the citizens demand it.. so what are the big 3 sacred of? hiding? Sin.
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We will all pay later for the Conservatives‘ wasterful spending Harper, with the likes of Tony Clement, Stockwell Day, Jim Flaherty, John Baird, and all of his other cabinet ministers campaigned on the point they would not run a deficit. While at the time each and every one of these unscrupulous politicians knew they were running a deficit of $5.8 billion dollars! Everything from there on has been a neo-right political lie. Two hundred photo ops showing the completely unethical use of the Conservative Party logo is by no means a small indication of what lengths and deceit this crew will go to, to advance their extremely flawed political ideology. The waste of this neo-right fiasco will show up down the road and it will be the biggest financial scandal in Canadian history! How do I know this? Simple. Harper is spending more money and running the largest deficit in Canadian history and he is a politician who cannot be trusted!
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