how defence budget is spent-8 Polititions Fly to Salt Lake

[bossi]

Liberal fun at Games: $82Gs
By Stephanie Rubec (Sun newspapers)

OTTAWA -- Taxpayers spent $82,000 to fly federal Liberals on a government executive jet to the men's Olympic hockey final.

Eight Liberals took a Challenger jet in Ottawa Feb. 24 to Salt Lake City for the game, according to flight logs obtained by the Tory party.

"They should be forced to pay it out of their own pockets," Tory MP Rex Barnes said. "It shows the lack of sense for some of these politicians."

Air Canada says an economy fare to Salt Lake City that Saturday, returning Sunday, cost $1,618 per ticket -- or $12,944 total.

The defence department paid about $82,000 to operate the jets.

Junior Amateur Sports Minister Paul De Villers organized the trip to Salt Lake City.

"Once the plane goes, what does it matter who's on it?" he said.

De Villers said opposition MPs attended Olympic events on the taxpayer's bill.

 

[SNoseworthy]

This is wasteful spending im my opinion. Though government members (well some of them) are entitled to reduced air fares, they should still pick up most of the bill, they do, after all, have a salary to do that. Air Canada should be the government‘s airline, not DND.

I remember reading an article a couple days ago about an e-coli outbreak in a few Challengers and Polaris‘, perhaps that $82000 could have been better spent on the aircraft, instead of bureaucrats. Let the Prime Minister and MND fly for free on DND jets, but all other government officials shouldn‘t get a free ride as they‘re not a part of the Department of National Defence.