Brace yourself. It's coming and it won't be pretty.
I'm talking about the report on how much the Government of Canada spent on the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
The Province of British Columbia and City of Vancouver have reported on how much taxpayers' dollars they spent on the Games. Ottawa has been a laggard. It disclosed the G8 and G20 summits cost almost $860 million when it made a massive Friday dump of documents in the House of Commons on Nov. 5. Those events took place in Ontario in June. The Olympics were in February and Paralympics in March. Why are the Tories sitting on the numbers? What do they have to hide?
Dumb question...
Opposition parties that pander to voters in populous Ontario screamed bloody murder at G8 and G20 costs before the riot-marred Toronto summit happened. Here's what Liberal leader Michael "Iffy" Ignatieff wrote to Auditor-General Sheila Fraser. NDP Public Safety critic Don Davies also complained. Those same opposition parties have been silent on the Olympics. Seems their leaders are too afraid to question an event that delivered Canada a record 14 gold medals, including Sidney Crosby’s golden goal heard from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
They should be ashamed. They are abrogating their duties to citizens. Patriotism is about more than waving a flag and cheering at the national winter pastime.
Why am I so sure that the costs of the 2010 Winter Games will be a shock to taxpayers?
On Nov. 22, Heritage Minister James Moore wrote to Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel to tell him that Ottawa would not fund a bid for Expo 2017. Without the $706 million needed from the federal government, the $2.3 billion exposition won’t happen.
“This amount doesn’t take into account the full costs of security for this three month event nor the full costs of the Federal Government's obligations to host an event of this size,” Moore wrote. “Costs for the Federal Government for this project could easily eclipse $1 billion, and that is a financial risk we are not prepared to take at this time.”
Mandel was understandably upset. You might say he went ballistic.
Surely if the Vancouver Olympics were as successful as the spin doctors want us to believe, then why wouldn’t Edmonton’s Expo be a wise investment? (Say this with your tongue planted in your cheek, if you know what I mean).
Moore’s ministry led the $1.25 billion federal commitment to the 2010 Winter Games. That was the total pre-Games price tag for federal taxpayers. Moore’s ministry will eventually have to deliver the bad news to Canadians.
The recession-rocked Vancouver 2010 Games were the 21st century’s answer to Montreal 1976. Hope you enjoyed the party. You paid dearly for it.
If you have any doubt about the federal government's reluctance to talk about how much it spent on the 2010 Winter Olympics, read the following.
It's why I award the federal Conservatives a gold medal in the uniquely Canadian sport of freestyle, long-track evasiveness. Spokesthingys for both Heritage Minister Moore and Junior Sport Minister Gary Lunn were equally unhelpful in fulfilling my most recent request.
Enjoy this email string.
From: "Bob Mackin" [Bob.Mackin@sunmedia.ca]
Sent: 11/17/2010 10:37 AM EST
To: Vanessa Schneider
Subject: media request
Hello,
Is Minister Lunn available today for a short phone interview to talk about the delay in publication of the post-Games financial report by VANOC and to discuss when the post-Games report on federal investments in the Olympics and Paralympics will be published? Sincerely,
Bob Mackin
From vanessa.schneider@pch.gc.ca
Subject: Re: media request
Date: November 17, 2010 7:47:26 AM PST
To: Bob Mackin
Hi Bob,
I understand that you have also contacted the department in this regard. They will provide the answers to your questions.
Thanks!
Vanessa
Vanessa Schneider
Directrice des communications/Director of Communications
Cabinet de l'Honorable Gary Lunn/Office of the Honourable Gary Lunn
From: "Bob Mackin"
Date: November 17, 2010 7:48:19 AM PST
To: vanessa.schneider@pch.gc.ca
Subject: RE: media request
Minister Lunn is the elected official who provides oversight. I am only interested in speaking with him, unless a deputy minister or David Robinson is available for an interview.
bob.mackin@sunmedia.ca
From: "Bob Mackin"
Date: November 17, 2010 7:36:18 AM PST
To: codie.taylor@pch.gc.ca
Subject: media request
Hello,
Is Minister Moore available today for a short phone interview to talk about the delay in publication of the post-Games financial report by VANOC and to discuss when the post-Games report on federal investments in the Olympics and Paralympics will be published?
Sincerely,
Bob Mackin
From: codie.taylor@pch.gc.ca
Subject: Re: media request
Date: November 17, 2010 7:45:05 AM PST
To: Bob Mackin
Cc: jean-luc.benoit@pch.gc.ca
Hi Bob,
I understand that you have also contacted the department in this regard. They will provide the answers to your questions.
Thanks,
Codie Taylor
Press Secretary / Attachée de presse
Office of the Hon. James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages / Cabinet de l’hon. James Moore, Ministre du Patrimoine canadien et des Langues officielles Ministère du Patrimoine canadien | Department of Canadian Heritage Gatineau, Canada K1A 0M5
codie.taylor@pch.gc.ca Téléphone | Telephone 819-997-7788 Télécopieur | Facsimile 819-994-1267
Gouvernement du Canada | Government of Canada
From: "Bob Mackin"
Date: November 17, 2010 7:49:15 AM PST
To: codie.taylor@pch.gc.ca
Subject: RE: media request
Minister Moore is the elected official who provides oversight. I am only interested in speaking with him, unless a deputy minister or David Robinson is available for an interview.
bob.mackin@sunmedia.ca
What prompted my recent attempts to interview Ministers Moore and Lunn? The woefully inadequate response from their Ministry's communications office.
From: genevieve.myre@pch.gc.ca on behalf of media@pch.gc.ca
Sent: Fri 22-Oct-10 3:06 PM
To: Bob Mackin
Cc: media@pch.gc.ca
Subject: Media call regarding final report on Olympic and Paralympic
Good afternoon,
The answer to your inquiry is attached below. Please confirm receipt of this email.
Thank you
Geneviève Myre
____________________
The Federal Secretariat's Final Report will be an overall synopsis of the Government of Canada's involvement in the Games.
The report is in its final stages of development and will be posted to the Canadian Heritage website in due time.
The attached Fact Sheet lists the Government of Canada's financial contributions to the 2010 Winter Games.
Service des relations avec les médias | Media Relations Service
Direction générale des communications | Communications Branch
Ministère du Patrimoine canadien | Department of Canadian Heritage
Gatineau, Québec CANADA K1A 0M5
media@pch.gc.ca
Téléphone | Telephone 819 994-9101
Sans frais | Toll-Free 1 866 569-6155 (au Canada seulement | In Canada Only)
Télécopieur | Facsimile 819 994-1444
Téléimprimeur (sans frais) 1 888 997-3123 | Teletypewriter (toll-free) 1 888 997-3123
Gouvernement du Canada | Government of Canada
From Bob Mackin on behalf of Bob Mackin
Date 22/10/2010 10:09 PM
To genevieve.myre@pch.gc.ca
Subject RE: Media call regarding final report on Olympic and Paralympic
Could you please define "due time?"
Does "due time" mean next week, next month, next year? If you can only give me a ballpark estimate (for example: end of October, mid-November or first week of December), then that would be reasonable.
I would prefer if you could attach an estimate to "due time." Otherwise, the reader/taxpayer does not know what "due time" means.
From: genevieve.myre@pch.gc.ca
Date: October 26, 2010 12:26:16 PM PDT
To: "Bob Mackin"
Subject: RE: Media call regarding final report on Olympic and Paralympic
Good afternoon,
The answer to your inquiry is attached below. Please confirm receipt of this email.
Thank you
Geneviève Myre
__________________
The Final Report is a compilation of material from over 30 federal departments and agencies and is a large undertaking.
The Government of Canada wants to ensure the report is accurate and complete before posting it. Therefore, no specific deadline has been set. We will contact you when the report is available.
