Taxpayer advocates award the worst in government waste

Former Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe, Agriculture Canada, the City of Montreal and Alberta politicians have been labeled the worst of the worst in government waste by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

The right-leaning advocates for small government unveiled this year’s culprits at a kitschy ceremony on Parliament Hill, complete with their tuxedo-clad pig mascot named Porky the Waste Hater. Each winner of a “Teddy” award was recognized with a bronze pig statuette.

The awards were first started fourteen years ago and are named for Ted Weatherill, a former federal government employee who was dismissed in 1999 for his excessive expenses which included a $735 lunch for two in Paris.

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This year’s winners include:

Federal Teddy: Agriculture Canada

Agriculture Canada received a Teddy award for spending $284 million on a program to transition tobacco farmers out of the business. Instead, the number of tobacco farmers doubled under the life of the program.

Provincial Teddy: Alberta’s Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing

The 21 Alberta MLAs sitting on this committee haven’t met since 2008, despite collecting a stipend of $1,000 a month.

Municipal Teddy: City of Montreal’s Snow Day

The City of Montreal’s fleet of snow plows was caught on YouTube driving up and down sidewalks with their blades down on dry, clear pavement.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Gilles Duceppe

Former Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe was labeled the biggest pig of them all, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

The reason given was the millions of tax dollars Duceppe helped spend in an effort to break the country up. Duceppe will collect a pension of $140,765 and his party collected $23.5 million in taxpayer subsidies over the past seven years.

Other notable nominees:

Department of National Defence: DND got the nod from the CTF for spending $2 billion since 1998 on four used submarines that are still not in service.
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency: The federal agency spent $1,890,000 to subsidize donuts made with pure lard.

City of St. Albert, Alberta: It's alleged the city decided to buy a Starbucks at a cost of $280,000, a franchise that now competes with local businesses.

City of Calgary: The city has paid $25 million for a pedestrian bridge, which will double as a public art installation. The project has yet to be delivered despite the hefty price tag.

The National Capital Commission: While skaters on Ottawa’s Rideau Canal seemed to enjoy them, seven portable skate shacks that cost $5.2 million landed the National Capital Commission on the Teddy shortlist.

Ontario’s ORNGE Ambulance Service: Forensic auditors say $25 million is unaccounted for. The service is currently being investigated by police for financial irregularities.

B.C. Hydro: The provincial utility company spent $42.3 million in performance bonuses to 99 per cent of its employees.