a blog about news and politics by steve janke
 

Michael Bryant's crazy hotel bills

Dalton McGuinty's Liberal government seems to have issues when it comes to protecting the public purse. Nothing criminal, but reckless. The latest involves Attorney General Michael Bryant. First, a legal conference paid for by the government quadrupled in price from one year to the next, in no small part because it was held at a luxury resort instead of a more utilitarian conference centre. An isolated case? Well, it turns out that Michael Bryant spends a lot of money on hotels. Very nice hotels.




Attorney General Michael Bryant seems a bit confused. He seems to think that the role of Ontario's top lawyer is to keep the hotel business in the black.

In a news release Thursday, Sault Ste. Marie PC Candidate Josh Pringle says $700,000 that Dalton McGuinty’s Attorney General spent on hotel rooms at the Blue Mountain Resort and the Deerhurst resort is just a fraction of the total amount that was spent by Michael Bryant on hotels last year.

The release shows hundreds of thousands of dollars spent at resorts by Bryant.

Government records show that Dalton McGuinty’s Attorney General spent a grand total of $2,552,036 on hotels in 2006/2007 according to Pringle.

These include:

$449,164 at the Blue Mountain Resort
$319,699 at the Marriott Hotel
$246,554 at the Deerhurst Resort
$178,318 at the Metropolitan Hotel
$148,109 at the Holiday Inn
$137,063 at the Intrawest Lodging Westin Trillium House (aka Blue Mountain)
$124,904 at the Sheraton
$112,700 at the Prince of Wales Hotel
$101,688 at Taboo
$101,289 at Novotel
$93,886 at the Delta Chelsea
$91,260 at the Ramada
$85,986 at Clevelands House in Muskoka
$73,844 at the Cambridge Suites Hotel
$62,179 at the Delawana Inn
$57,186 at the Best Western
$55,312 at Travelodge
$52,870 at the Lord Elgin Hotel

Pringle continues, "Meanwhile victims’ services are underfunded. Accused criminals are being given $2000 cheques because the courts are underfunded, and municipalities are struggling under the weight of court security costs."

But according to Michael Bryant, criticizing his spending is "boneheaded".

What's wrong with these people? Haven't they heard of a phone? Teleconferencing? Email?

Do these numbers include food? Booze too? The minibar?! Those things are so expensive. I hope Michael Bryant had enough respect for the taxpayers of Ontario to go and buy a bag of chips, and to tell his guests not to raid the minibar for overpriced munchies, before settling in for a pay-per-view movie.

Hey, do these bills include in-room pay-per-view too?


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Comments

We note that when confronted with these insular ruling class excesses, Bryant acted like a typical indignant autocrat punk.

As I have stated here and elsewhere before; Bryant is the lowest form of life ever to inhabit human skin. He is a visible reminder that Ontario is sinking into the abyss of Cuban style statism and is a constant reminder that the voters who would put such an obvious ambitious self styled Ubermensch in office are as blank on political sense as they are on human nature....only sub human intellect would allow a megalomaniac to get near the levers of political power.....obviously Ontario has far too many idiots going to the polls.

Posted by: WL Mackenzie Redux at August 24, 2007 09:24 AM



I wonder if an access to information request would find out if there were indeed ppv movies expensed. And further what the titles of said movies might be.

Posted by: Reid at August 24, 2007 09:28 AM



This is a letter that the Lib MPP for Sault Ste. Marie posted in the Sault Star. I couldn't find the original maybe you can dated Aug 21.


http://www.saultstar.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=663178&catname=Letters&classif=Editorials

Taxpayers' money belongs to the people
Letters - Wednesday, August 22, 2007 Updated @ 7:37:48 AM

A letter appeared in Tuesday's Sault Star discussing the allocation of taxpayers' money in Ontario. Contrary to the claim made by letter writer Frank Doran, I have never and would never suggest that Ontario taxpayers' money belongs to any particular political party, since we all know it belongs to the people of this province.

Each government sets its spending priorities in accordance with the interests of the citizens they represent. I am proud to be part of a Liberal government that has not only made our community a priority but has delivered record levels of investment. I would also respectfully ask The Sault Star to be more thorough in verifying the claims of its letter writers.

David Orazietti,

Sault Ste. Marie MPP

Posted by: Pissedoff at August 24, 2007 11:31 AM



It's attitudes like Bryant's that will put Ontario into Have-Not territory.
This is total and utter disrespect for the people, arrogance beyond belief.

If McGuinty and his lies from last election are overlooked and they get back to power, this province is toast. We won't be the Bread Basket, we'll be a basket case.

Have to worry about the demographic of this province. As it is in Federal elections, the 905 corridor is where elections are won or lost.
McGuinty is not the sharpest knife in the drawer but he knows which one to use to butter up his Liberal base in Toronto and environs, Liberals taking care of Liberals,oblivious to what's going on around them.

People get into politics to do things for the people, not for themselves.........that's the joke for today.
Bryant is no joke, he's a real prig.

Posted by: Libby at August 24, 2007 11:32 AM



"Boneheaded" sounds like one of the PPV movies that Bryant might've watched in his hotel room and had the taxpayers fund.

Posted by: amanda at August 24, 2007 01:23 PM



If Bryant has not proven by now that he and the Liberal Party should not be re-elected it will never happen.
We certainly should hope that the people of Ontario have enough sense to be woken up by then.

Posted by: Jan at August 24, 2007 01:54 PM



What do you expect from the Head Pig?

Posted by: Feldwebel Wolfenstool at August 25, 2007 08:50 AM



Why is this story not given more attention in the media?
Oh, right, it's the Liberals and it's a bunch of Legal Eagles and they're worth it.
Truthfully they should be skewered, the Bums.

Posted by: Libby at August 27, 2007 02:37 PM