Taxpayers' bill for lawyer's bash quadruples in cost
Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant is defending a conferences of judges and crown attorney's paid for by the province and hosted at luxury resorts in Ontario. He is being forced to defend them because the cost has quadrupled since the year before.
Michael Bryant is defending the spiralling costs of hosting parties for judges and lawyers:
Attorney General Michael Bryant says opposition to paying three-quarters of a million dollars to put Crown lawyers and judges up in luxury resorts is just "boneheaded."
Bryant says two conferences at Blue Mountain and Deerhurst resorts last year -- which cost almost $700,000 -- were totally legitimate.
He says Conservative criticism of those professional development meetings is an attack on local jobs and the party owes the cottage country communities an apology.
With all due respect to Michael Bryant, the question of who is benefiting is a red herring. Of course someone benefits from a conference. If it isn't the people at Blue Mountain or Deerhurst, then some other community with convention facilities will benefit. Is Michael Bryant going to apologize to every resort that didn't host these conferences? Of course not, nor should he.
But the question of legitimacy is, well, legitimate. Let's put it this way. Give the attendees two choices. One is to hold the conference at Blue Mountain for $700,000. The other is two hold the conference at some other facility for $174,000. That's what it used to cost:
Last year's three-day meeting of 600 Crown attorneys at Blue Mountain resort cost taxpayers almost $450,000 -- up from $174,000 taxpayers shelled out for a similar meeting two years ago.
Judges and justices of the peace racked up a bill of $246,000 at the posh Muskoka golf resort of Deerhurst last year -- up from $50,000 two years ago.
Now tell the lawyers and judges that they have to pay their own way, or some significant portion of the cost. I wonder if the enthusiasm for Blue Mountain would rapidly evaporate.
But then any enthusiasm these lawyers and judges might have to vote for the Ontario Liberals might evaporate too, so I don't expect Michael Bryant is going to try something like this.
Instead, the cost will quadruple inside of one year and not a thing will be done about it. Ontario taxpayers will foot the bill for the food and entertainment of a segment of society that most people figure are quite capable of paying their own way.
And if they paid their own way, the people of Muskoka would still benefit, wouldn't they?
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Comments
Our Lords and Masters disport at our expense. All's right with the Liberal Universe.
Posted by: Patrick B at August 22, 2007 12:55 PM
These are the same trough-slurpers that release dangerous criminals back into the public to prey on us again and again. I wonder if we can justify these actions by saying that it keeps the lawyers employed and the courts busy, thus justifying these judges and lawyers have a job for all time?
Posted by: George at August 22, 2007 01:04 PM
after everything that has come out in the past few weeks re: the liberal's reckless spending of our hard earned tax dollars, I honestly think it is time for soem sort of revolt.
Sadly, people will get a tad irritated and then do nothing.
Just the way the Liberals like their constituents: apathetic.
Posted by: tori at August 22, 2007 01:29 PM
i guess our lawyers and judges must be a multiculteral group eligible for these little junkets. keep on buying votes, its the fiberal's way.
Posted by: spike at August 22, 2007 02:58 PM
Just another McAsswipe lie when he stood up and apologised and then said they would do a better job looking after tax payers money. When was that? oh 2 weeks ago and he wants you to believe he will do better if elected again.
Posted by: Pissedoff at August 22, 2007 03:18 PM
Let's see. $174K in 2004 then $700K in 2006. If Libs get re-elected, will it be $1 million in 2008? I mean, inflation and all, you know....
The Libs are a big tent, right? Eat, drink and be merry, and oh, don't forget that campaign contribution.
Posted by: Louise M. at August 22, 2007 03:47 PM
Not a problem, according to a recent Ipsos-Reid poll, the McGuinty Liberals are now in majority territory, thanks to the brain dead idiots in the 905 area.
Watch for Ontario to recede to have-not status, we'll be back to the Bob Rae era.
Posted by: Libby at August 22, 2007 07:49 PM
I wonder what's going on, that they don't want to let us all in on?
Posted by: Feldwebel Wolfenstool at August 23, 2007 06:26 AM
I know that this is really none of my business, since I live in Alberta, and we have problems of our own to deal with. But what are the good people of Ontario doing about this?!? Where are the letter campaigns?!? Where are the letters to the editor?!?
We MUST get off of our a....rears and take the fight to the politicians, and remember the pen is mightier than the sword. We must let them know that we are paying attention.
COME ON CANADA, LETS FINALLY DROP THE "OH, WOE IS ME", OF WHICH, I AM ASHAMED TO SAY, I WAS GUILTY OF AS WELL; AND LETS GET ACTIVE!
Thats it for my soap box.
Posted by: Glen at August 24, 2007 10:33 AM
 
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