April 29, 2005

Opposition MPs said yesterday that Paul Martin, the Prime Minister, has engaged in a "$1-billion orgy" to pave the way to an election that could be called as early as April 25, and that the money represents a reversal of his pledge to spend wisely.

"It looks like Paul Martin is becoming the Prince of Pork as he tries to buy Canadians' votes with their own tax dollars," said Conservative MP Jason Kenney. "He can't find money to slash taxes but he can find $1-billion for pork for Liberal MPs and target constituencies."

The $1-billion figure accounts for spending in just five departments and does not include many hundreds of millions of dollars in spending announcements unveiled in March as Mr. Martin began a series of cross-country tours and put the Liberal party on an election-readiness footing.

When he became Prime Minister, Mr. Martin promised to freeze spending on capital projects and to scrutinize every expenditure, but a survey by CanWest News Service shows the new government has been spending freely on wharves, festivals, archeological digs, community centres, performance arts theatres, symphony orchestras and a host of projects in Liberal ridings.

NDP MP Pat Martin said yesterday the Liberals are spending in anticipation of a spring election.

"It looks like a pre-election orgy of gratuitous goodies-basket goodwill here," the Manitoba MP said. "This amount of largesse certainly can mean one thing really -- that they are priming the pump for going to the polls."

Mr. Kenney said the Prime Minister should be slashing taxes rather than announcing a flurry of spending.

"He is an old-style big spender," said Mr. Kenney. "He is cranking up the cheque-writing machines for every Liberal interest group and target constituency in a pre-election spending fervour."

But Mauril Belanger, Deputy Leader of the Government in the House, who yesterday announced almost $1-million in government funds for official languages in Sudbury, insisted the Liberals were not buying votes.

Mr. Belanger said the rash of spending announcements is because the House is not sitting and Liberal MPs are in their ridings. "We are making announcements on an ongoing basis. At some point the Prime Minister will call an election but in the meantime, business goes on," he said.

A survey of news releases from April 1 to April 14 for the departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Oceans, Human Resources, Canadian Heritage and Industry show Liberal ministers and backbench MPs taking credit for $1-billion of funding announcements.

Some of the expenditures are for broad initiatives, such as $123-million for genomics and proteomics research, $80-million for food safety programs and $138.3-million for university research chairs, but critics say many are designed to help the local Liberal MP or candidate improve their standing in their community.

For example, Liberal MP Scott Brison presented a $50,000 cheque in his Nova Scotia riding on April 5 to buy bookshelves for a local library, while on the same day, Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc claimed credit for a $77,000 grant to renovate an old school that houses a senior citizens club in his New Brunswick riding.

Natural Resources Minister John Efford was also busy on April 5, turning over $157,000 for an archeological dig in Cupids, Nfld., which is believed to be one of the earliest European settlements in North America. He also announced $156,752 for a "unique archaeology online" to promote the digs and other features of the Baccaliue Trail region.

Up the coast, Liberal Gerry Byrne, who pumped $35-million into his riding when he was Minister of the Atlantic Opportunities Agency, announced $348,637 for two wharves in his Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte riding.

In Quebec on April 5, Liberal MP Jeannot Castonguay unveiled a $361,500 cheque to restore a "replica of an historic railway building" in her riding of Madawaska-Restigouche.

Two days earlier, Labour Minister Claudette Bradshaw handed out $432,554 for an Acadian festival this summer and another $400,000 to renovate a theatre in her hometown of Moncton, N.B.

"The government of Canada is committed to helping our communities become more dynamic and culturally rich," said Ms. Bradshaw in a statement explaining the expenditure.

In the West, Environment Minister David Anderson provided $150,000 to the Victoria Symphony Society in his city, while Finance Minister Ralph Goodale, who represents a Saskatchewan riding, found $25,986 to fund a magazine titled Prairie North: Life in Saskatchewan.

Many more millions of dollars were also handed out during February and March by Liberal MPs and Cabinet ministers for projects in their local ridings or in areas where the party hopes to win seats. Robert Thibault announced $159,441 to refurbish the historic Sinclair Inn in Annapolis Royal, N.S., for example, while Mr. Goodale on April 6 unveiled $19-million in funding for the Canadian Light Source, a research project at the University of Saskatchewan.

Ontario MP Bob Kilger announced a $385,324 job creation grant to the Societe franco-ontarienne d'historie et de genealogie in Cornwall; and Edmonton MP David Kilgour announced $130,514 to the Council of Indian Societies in his hometown that is supposed to provide "life management and employment skills."

Former Cabinet minister Don Boudria announced in March that he got $64,762 for the Friends of the Macdonnell-Williamson House to hire three people and he landed another $166,309 from Human Resources to hire people at a food bank in his Glengarry-Prescott-Russell riding.

In Vancouver, former Cabinet minister Hedy Fry, who is facing a tough challenge from the Conservatives, announced $734,000 for youth job creation.