Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

At the lonely end of the rink (III)

by Aaron Wherry on Thursday, October 22, 2009 1:55am - 82 Comments

The Stars gets Gerard Kennedy’s numbers on hockey rink stimulus in Toronto ridings.

Toronto 23 ridings — all but two held by Liberal MPs — got about 38 per cent less than the average Conservative riding in Ontario, prompting accusations that the government was again playing favourites as it doled out its massive stimulus fund.

The Toronto ridings got an average of $1.3 million, compared with an average of $2.1 million that was approved for Conservative ridings in Ontario — a difference of $777,787, according to Liberal MP Gerard Kennedy (Parkdale—High Park).

Kennedy’s office provides various figures and tables here.

Tags: economy, Gerard Kennedy, government spending, infrastructure, recession, recreation, stimulus, Toronto

More by Aaron Wherry

http://intensedebate.com/people/s_c_f s_c_f

No, I don't live in Orangeville. And I agree with Style, I sure hope that the money being spent will at least build something that people want, rather than raze everything existing and replacing it with something else.

I'm not sure what you're getting at. I don't think federal tax dollars should be diverted into local projects, so that people in British Columbia and Newfoundland are paying for Orangeville to put blowing alleys on every street corner. If anything, people should be taxed locally for what happens locally.

In fact, I'm a small c fiscal conservative, and somewhat of a libertarian, and so I believe that government should not be doing things that can be done outside government by citizens (example government activities include national defense, legislating, courts, and infrastructure such as roads). Almost every stimulus project across the country is probably something I'd prefer to see out of the hands of government – I don't think government should have any involvement in bowling alleys at all, nor skating rinks, nor arts, nor culture, nor energy, nor hospitals, and the list goes on.

Since the money is being spent, yes, I'd prefer to see it produce something valuable. But on the other hand, I'm not surprised when I see government digging holes and then filling them up, paving over Orangeville, and whatnot. Money is better spent by private citizens because they truly care if it is wasted or not. When it comes out of a giant slush fund, then bridges to nowhere, cities paved over and bowling allies galore are not uncommon.
http://intensedebate.com/people/s_c_f s_c_f

That being said, my main points on this page are that people are throwing blame at the Cons for a) falsehoods and b) things that the Cons originally had no desire for. I've yet to see proof that the Cons favoured their own ridings, or that they are doing anything worse than previous governments, and in fact I can remember Harper refusing to create a giant simulus/pork program and getting pillaged by the opposition for the idea.

http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=101850…

The lack of a stimulus plan from the governing Conservatives in their most recent fiscal update is what the Liberal, NDP and Bloc Quebecois say brought them together to take down the Conservative government at the earliest possible moment and form a ruling coalition.

"We have committed not to enter a long-term deficit, but we will act now to introduce a robust, fiscal stimulus policy designed to help Canadians and businesses weather the [financial storm," said Stéphane Dion, the Liberal Leader who, on an interim basis, would lead the coalition government and become Canada's 23rd Prime Minister.
…
Based on a policy framework the coalition released, the stimulus package would focus on: accelerating existing spending, and introduce new cash…
http://intensedebate.com/people/s_c_f s_c_f

Talk of a coalition government was triggered when Finance Minister Jim Flaherty delivered his controversial fiscal update last Thursday.

Opposition parties blasted the Tories for failing to include a stimulus package for the slumping economy

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/12/02/questio…

Thank you, coalition.
Michael

The "very equitable regional distribution" qoute was Smitherman. You could listen to Ont. Liberals or you could assume Harper said it it must be wrong. Your call.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Jenn_ Jenn_

Hold up, scf. I'm very glad we all agree Orangeville should retain its historic architecture (or replace it on its own dime). But the Conservative message that they were "forced" by the coalition to enact the stimulus spending plan they did (by the coalition that they "forced" into existence in the first place) is flawed. The coalition realistically "forced" them to do *something*. As in ANYTHING, as in wake up and realize just denying a recession doesn't make it go away!

Continued . . .
http://intensedebate.com/people/Jenn_ Jenn_

For me, I would have been happy with a less robust stimulus plan. For example, I think the home renovation tax credit was a great idea (and I don't own a home to take personal advantage). I grudgingly accept (very grudgingly) that some money had to bail out the auto industry. I do wonder however if our negotiators got us every advantage they could (okay, any advantage whatsoever). I also wonder if we couldn't have played hardball back, as in "you forfeit all the tangible assets already, since you haven't lived up to deals Provincial governments have already given you." But I digress.

Blaming the Liberals (or the coalition) because Conservative ridings get more skating rinks than anyone else is just a tad overstretching, don't you think?
http://intensedebate.com/people/s_c_f s_c_f

Well, I think I went off into a tangent. But one of my two points (a) above is that there is no evidence yet that Conservative ridings have received more money. I'm still waiting for real evidence, not this skating rink crap and this crap about one of the ten provinces (NS) and this crap about Toronto.