Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, who along with members of a Senate committee was criticized following an attempted trip to Afghanistan last September, has received the honour for wasteful federal government spending in the ninth annual Teddies Waste Awards.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which presents the awards, said Kenny showed "that the last institution to get the memo regarding Canadians’ demands for accountability from lawmakers is the Canadian Senate."

Five senators from the standing committee on national security and defence were set to travel to Afghanistan on a fact-finding mission after stops in London, Rotterdam and Dubai. However, they were stranded in a Dubai hotel after military commanders told them it was too dangerous to continue.

The entire trip cost close to $150,000, with $30,000 spent for the six days at the hotel.

Kenny, who was chairman of the committee, defended the trip. A Senate committee later cleared the senators of any wrongdoing.

The board of Ontario's Hydro One won the provincial Teddy for writing a $3-million severance cheque to former CEO Tom Parkinson, who voluntarily resigned.

Parkinson quit after an Ontario auditor general's report said he billed $45,000 in personal expenses to his secretary's corporate credit card and then approved them himself.

The city of Edmonton won the municipal award for spending $30,000 to hire 30 actors from Washington, D.C, to hand out yo-yos in the U.S. capital on Canada Day.

Lifetime award for McGuinty

The federation gave Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty the lifetime achievement award, saying he "delivered three deficit budgets, ramped up spending and continuously whined to the federal government for more handouts."

The group also accused him of breaking his promise not to raise taxes six months after he was elected.

"Sadly, 2006 has been yet another blockbuster year for government waste," said Adrienne Batra, Manitoba director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

"Politicians and public officials must realize that hard-working Canadians will not tolerate those who use tax dollars to live the high life. Our Teddies are an appropriate way to recognize those who abuse the public purse."

The Teddies are named for Ted Weatherill, a former senior federal public servant who was fired in 1999 for the expenses he racked up.