[...]But the focus today as it was yesterday was on the massive security costs of next months G8 and G20 summits. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff led the charge, accusing the government of incompetence and reckless spending, calling the planning of the summit comical.
We would not organize a children's party this way and now we are on the hook for a billion dollar security charge on top of a $54 billion deficit, Mr. Ignatieff said. Canadian families who do balance their budgets wonder why this incompetence has been allowed to happen.
Transport Minister John Baird, filling in for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, fired back that Mr. Ignatieff never misses a chance to run down Canada.
Since 9/11 security is a new reality and we will not be intimidated by thugs and terrorists who would want to come to Canada and cause us harm. We are going to make sure that people are safe, he said, noting at another point too that the threats are out there given the recent firebombing of an Ottawa bank.
Following up was NDP Leader Jack Layton, who accused the Prime Minister of creating a fiasco by mismanaging both of the summits, their venues and agenda, and security concerns. He even said the Toronto Blue Jays are a laughing stock of Major League Baseball because games had to be moved to accommodate the summiteers.
All of this for $1-billion in taxpayers money. Everybody remembers all too well the $1-billion boondoggle at HRDC, as it was called at the time under Jane Stewart, Mr. Layton said.
Now the Conservatives have their own $1-billion boondoggle at the G20 summit.
Previous G20 summits cost a mere fraction and they kept everybody safe: $18-million in Pittsburgh, $30 million in London. How can this government and these Conservatives justify spending 30 times more than London did just a year ago to talk about austerity?
Mr. Baird repeated his assertions that security in this post 9/11 world is costly.
Canada is providing major leadership on the world stage, the Transport Minister said. We are doing something that is unprecedented, hosting both the G8 and the G20.
The reality is, since 9/11 there is an unprecedented need to ensure that the leaders are safe and secure, that the meetings can take place, and that we can also ensure the safety for the people in both Muskoka and in the great city of Toronto.
