Who is Indian Affairs helping in England?
Who is Indian and Northern Affairs Canada helping in England? That’s a darned good question. In fact, I’d like to know more after this little tidbit arrived in my email inbox from a helpful gnome, and another version arrived via my newsreader.
I’ve contacted Marci, the media contact listed at the bottom of the news release. I’d like to get copies of those “published reports” it refers to, but also find out whether her organization has identified any Indian Affairs bureaucrats by name, branch or program, and other details.
Stay tuned… same bat time, same bat channel!
Thank you, Marci for the quick reply. Here’s an excerpt:
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From the November 24th Toronto Sun…
Feds shell out $125M for hospitality,
By ALTHIA RAJ, PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU
OTTAWA -The federal government promised more over-sight over bureaucratic spending Wednesday after QMI Agency reported more than $125 million was spent on hospitality expenses that included spa outings, golf club retreats and executive class travel during the past four years.
Public servants dropped thousands on places such as at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club, Auberge Spa Le Nordik in Old Chelsea, Que., the Four Seasons in Vancouver, the Fairmount in Mont Tremblant, Que., and Temple Gardens Mineral spa, which dubs itself Saskatchewan’s most luxurious spa resort hotel.
The department of foreign affairs and international trade was the biggest spender, forking over $52,583,681.35 — most of it spent on hospitality abroad. The department of national defence was second with $16,742,141.00 in expenses.
Since April 2006, the feds spent $125,384,600.67 on hospitality, some of which includes travel expenses.
Figures from the department of Indian and northern affairs show it paid tens of thousands of dollars for flights to Europe including: $12,409 for a trip to Belgium; $6,700 to the U. K; $11,459 for airfare to Norway and $15,560 to the Russian Federation.
NDP MP Malcolm Allen, who forced the government to release the figures, called them “shocking.”
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