Tories unveil $60 million of pre-election goodies
Last Updated: Tuesday, September 2, 2008 | 7:44 PM ET
CBC News
With an election call looming, the Conservative government has been busy in the past few days making a series of new spending announcements totalling more than $60 million.
Tory MPs and cabinet ministers have been crossing the country to unveil a variety of new funding projects.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay has made five announcements in the last six days, including a pledge Tuesday to give $20 million to Canadian soldiers who took part in nuclear weapons testing.
On Tuesday, there were 11 announcements in total (including five announcements for cenotaph restoration), with six or seven expected Wednesday and more by the end of the week.
A few announcements have been big, including Industry Minister Jim Prentice's pledge of $25 million for the expansion of the Northlands exhibition facility in Edmonton.
But the Tories have also announced a number of smaller projects, including $40,000 for the 2008 55+ Games and $25,000 for the Peace Window of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Winnipeg.
The announcements have also been spread out across the country. The Atlantic region is to get more than $500,000 for youth jobs and eight cultural organizations. The Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia will receive $81,000.
In Quebec, Christian Paradis, secretary of state for agriculture and MP for the riding Mégantic–L’Érable, announced $650,000 for the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers and $3 million for oilseed research.
Health Minister Tony Clement personally delivered news of $1,150 in funding for a park in Port Perry, Ont.
'Business as usual,' Kenney says
Secretary of State Jason Kenney said the announcements show his government is keeping busy.
"The ministers of the government do their job in each of their respective areas. This is a government that has been action oriented."
He said the latest rush of announcements has nothing to do with the coming election.
"Usually in the lead up to the resumption of Parliament, there are a number of announcements made about programs that have been worked on over the summer. So I think this is essentially business as usual."
But NDP Leader Jack Layton said that is the problem.
"This is an old practice we have seen over the years," he said.
The Conservatives used to complain about Liberal pre-election spending and now they are doing the same thing, Layton said.
"I think people are accustomed to seeing this kind of thing. I don't believe people will allow their votes to be determined by these kinds of things."
