Buckdog

"On a day when a $1.9 million “fake lake” in the G20 media centre in Toronto had opposition MPs and taxpayers crying foul, a quick spin north of the city revealed that almost everything north of Barrie was getting an upgrade — or so it seemed — for a summit that will last a matter of hours. New sidewalks, trees, gazebos, paved roads, fresh coats of paint, gardens and all manner of buffing and polishing, all compliments of federal largesse, much of it for tiny towns well off the beaten track. Federal government signs trumpet the investments everywhere."
The Star


It was inevitable that $tephen Harper would get caught. The master manipulator Prime Minister of Canada has been caught red handed infusing hundreds of millions of tax dollars into key ridings and then calling them 'G8/G20' expenditures. That is what is going on here. Outside of official infrastructure programs, $tephen Harper thought that he could throw buckets of largesse at federal Ridings he needs to hold or win in the next election and hide it in the G8/G20 summit ledgers.

Estimates are starting to emerge that the entire 'cost' of 'G8/G20' may just reach the $2 Billion mark.

Cheesy .. sleazy ... and so typical of the Conservative Party of Canada under Harper's leadership. Shame.

UPDATE:
The 'master manipulator', himself, came out this afternoon to defend his spending of $1.9 million tax dollars to build his fake lake/media centre .... Mr. Harper.. when you are 'esplaining' ... sir, you are LOSING!

UPPERDATE:
Consistent with their complete inability to EVER admit that they are wrong, $tephen Harper's Office insists that over $1 Billion for this 72 hour event is 'smart' marketing.

What's next? Expect $tephen Harper to send John Baird out to YELL and HOLLER at us all soon!

Here is what the world press is saying:
• (CNN) –– Canada’s Cabinet ministers are in hot water for their government’s plans to spend nearly $2 million building a man-made lake for this month’s G20 summit.

• (AFP) — Canada’s Conservative government was castigated Monday for spending huge sums to host G8 and G20 summits at the end of June, including two million dollars on a fake lake inside the media center.

• (Business Week) -- Canada’s Conservative government came under fire Monday for spending nearly $2 million on a simulation of the small town site of this month’s G-8 and G-20 summits complete with an artificial lake inside a temporary media center. The display, which cost $1.9-million Canadian ($1.8 million), is called The Experience Canada Corridor and will include canoes, trees, deck chairs and a fake dock.

-CBC
-The Globe & Mail
-Standard-Freeholder
-Town sees $50 Million taxdollars for 'G8/G20' Summit

-The Price We Pay For A Government Of Fear