, 01.25.2023 01:22 PM

My latest: corrupted

Big political graves get dug with tiny shovels.

It’s a cliché, yes. This writer says that a lot. But it’s no less true for that, is it?

You’d think they’d learn, but they never do. In Canada: a Conservative cabinet minister who charged for eighteen-dollar orange juice, or a former Liberal MP who expensed a $1.29 pack of gum. In Britain: Members of Parliament expensing the cleaning of a moat – and the building of a duck house in the middle of a pond.

In America: a Republican congressman who sought compensation for “a tablecloth, three square pillows, a three-brush set, a metal tray, four temporary shades, four window panels, a white duck, two Punky Brewster items, a ring pop and two five-packs of animals.”

All of those expense scandals – and many, many more – resulted in resignations, firings or election losses (and sometimes all three). Because it’s always the little stuff that is most lethal, in politics. Because most of us have never held, or will hold, a billion dollars – out as billion anything – in our hands. It’s hard to comprehend.

But we know what a glass of orange juice should cost. We know that public servants who are paid well shouldn’t expensing “Punky Brewster items.”

Which brings us, with depressing regularity, to the latest outrages. Because – at a time when ordinary Canadians are debating whether they can afford to feed ground beef to their families – the latest outrages are deeply, profoundly disgusting.

Like how a federal bureaucrat, earning at least $120,000 a year, required that her chauffeur be flown from Montreal to Vancouver – twice. At taxpayer expense.

Like how bureaucrats hired a two-person Ottawa technology firm to develop their celebrated ArriveCan app, which was an unmitigated disaster. And for which the two-person firm then billed $54 million – and, allegedly unbeknownst to those selfsame bureaucrats, forked over the actual work to a bunch of other firms. Without anyone’s approval.

Like how the Trudeau folks spent a minimum of $66 million of your money on a consulting firm called McKinsey and Company. Said company having paid hundreds of millions in fines for pushing opioids in the U.S., when they knew opioids were killing many, many people. Said company touting their “carbon-reducing” work, while quietly representing 43 major carbon polluters. Said company boasting about its tobacco-fighting – while secretly helping Big Tobacco defeat those very initiatives.

With whose former global chairman Justin Trudeau was a close personal friend. Who he would later appoint Canada’s ambassador to China.

And on, and on, and on. It never ends. The entitlement, the greed, the petty corruption.

It’s enough to make you want to vomit. (It does me.)

For all of these things to be happening, over and over and over, is bad enough. But for them to be happening at a time when people are struggling – really, truly struggling – to simply feed themselves and their families? That’s more than a scandal.

It’s disgusting.

In government, plural, these atrocities happen with every ideological disposition. Every political stripe, at every level. Judgment and restraint abandon them. And then, to recall an infamous phrase, they feel they are entitled to their entitlements.

They think they work really hard, and make super-duper big sacrifices, and that we – the taxpayer – should pay a little extra. And then more. And even more.

And then the downward-descent into greed and disgrace.

Let’s make a promise to each other: let’s all focus, right here and right now, on the bureaucrat – Isabelle Hudon – who flew her chauffeur across the country. Let’s make an example of her (as CBC, to its credit, is attempting to do). Let’s drive her out, and make her name synonymous with excess and shame.

Call the Office of the Prime Minister, (613) 992-4211, and express your outrage. Email him, if you want, at justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca.

Mostly, let’s get out some tiny shovels – and let’s all dig a big grave for Isabelle Hudon’s career.

38 Comments

  1. Martin Dixon says:

    How many times has this clutch gone bad? Note the pic that accompanies the article online:

    https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/kinsella-federal-bureaucrat-latest-to-spare-no-taxpayer-expense

  2. Curious V says:

    Same attitudes exist in the private sector. I’m always shocked at the entitlement complex that develops in people from their good luck, opportunity and good fortune. It’s a common trait in folks that they feel entitled from the simple good fortune of opportunity – goes to their head.

    • Curious V,

      I had clients who put as much of their personal expenses on the company and did it serially. Fun, until the two tax people cometh.

      • Martin Dixon says:

        Ronald, let’s not just pick on those clients. I have had some people make the very same sort of complaint but they won’t hesitate to pay a contractor 10k under the table to avoid the hst and so the contractor can avoid paying tax on the 10k. Conspiracy to avoid tax. They don’t seem to notice the hypocrisy even though their behaviour is probably even more criminal.

    • Ron Benn says:

      The distinction, Curious V, is that we the taxpayers have the opportunity to either not buy or to sell our shares in public companies that have executives that display this type of behaviour (e.g. John Rigas/Adelphia). This is not an option when someone on the government payroll, whether that is a hired hand (Hudon), an appointee (Senator Duffy) or an elected official (Oda), abuses the public purse.

  3. Curious V says:

    I’ve worked for major multinationals, major not-for-profits, and the federal government and this attitude of entitlement based on family status, or position exists everywhere. Coming from an immigrant farming family it’s always been an obnoxious instinct to me – ruins everything.

    • Martin Dixon says:

      Totally agree on both points and with the exception of maybe one person, it doesn’t exist at our firm.

      • Martin Dixon says:

        Although to take the generalization a bit further, that is the general view of Toronto out here in flyover country and they elect PMs. That is more obnoxious to me.

  4. Gilbert says:

    I once wrote to PM Trudeau. It was shortly after he had become prime minister. Readers here know I’m not a Liberal. I’m definitely on the right. Even so, imagine my diappointment when I never got a reply. That never happened to me under Stephen Harper. Our country was better managed then.

  5. Peter Williams says:

    I wonder how Ms Hudon will spend the $2 billion slush fund Ms Freeland has earmarked for shares in corporations that don’t yet exist.

    How much will go to McKinsey?

    And a question: How many, if any, relatives of Liberal Parliamentarians are McKinsey employees, McKinsey contractors, or otherwise receive funds from McKinsey?

    And don’t forget Mr Trudeau will undoubtedly get a big raise this April… to keep up with inflation.

  6. EsterHazyWasALoser says:

    Here is my modest proposal. All expenses should be posted on line (after all it is our money). Journalists and other investigators should not be forced to file FOI requests to try and determine what is going on. I would also like to know who approved Ms Hudson’s expenses. I assume that somebody had to sign off on them. Why was she not confronted about this dubious activity? With respect to the ArriveCan App, why was wasn’t it put out to tender? Although I had not meant for this to be a rhetorical question, one does wonder if in fact the firm (or the two individuals) were not selected “for political reasons”. Our gracious host did not mention it, but my personal fave when it comes to the tiny (or maybe not so tiny) shovels was the time (1986 to be exact) Progressive Conservative Prime Minister B Mulroney awarded a $1.4 billion CF 18 fighter jet maintenance contract to Canadair of Montreal over a far superior bid from Bristol Aerospace of Winnipeg. That decision was the beginning of the end for PM Mulroney, and his party.

    • Martin Dixon says:

      Memories-when actions actually had consequences.

    • EHWAL,

      There is no accountability in government (except for the underlings) not for the politicians or top public servants. Laws, regulations, protocols are issued and then ignored or bipassed when it’s suddenly inconvenient or expedient to doso. That’s why it’s called government. And the top dogs in the private sector are often not any better.

  7. Steve T says:

    Let’s also use this same argument to eliminate the position of Governor General. Over the years, no role has so typified wasteful spending as the GG.
    It’s a position that has no meaningful purpose, other than to reward friends of the government and/or virtue-signal whatever group needs to be elevated at that moment. And every GG in recent memory has quickly fallen into the ludicrous spending habits of his/her predecessor. Typically in the form of jetting across the ocean with a dozen or two of their closest buddies, charging tens of thousands of dollars at a time.

    • Peter Williams says:

      The PM announced the GG will make a state visit to Finland in February.

      Flying on Beef Wellington 1, the GG will enjoy sumptuous meals (just like on Air Canada we’re told by our government). And copious quantities of liquor will be consumed (although to be fair I might be confusing that with the PMs flights).

      • Martin Dixon says:

        Make them pay tax on the benefit in excess of a reasonable amount(the deductible meal allowance per day for truckers for example-$34.50). The fact that the maximum one can put in Class 10.1(passenger vehicles) has only increased from 24k to 34k in 33 years is also a joke given you wouldn’t catch someone like Hudon dead in a vehicle like that.

    • Steve,

      Our political geniuses made it 10 for 10 for the monarchy and the GG + the feds. Translation: neither get abolished, ever.

  8. Douglas W says:

    Liberals now sense that the jig is up and so … they trot to the trough, often.

  9. Pedant says:

    Ahmed Hussen’s office handed out a “communications” contract to the sister of his policy director. The sister owns a food services PR firm called Munch More Media. Upon this revelation hitting the news, the esteemed Munch More Media’s Twitter and Instagram accounts were deleted and its website hastily redone to de-emphasize the food aspect of its work.

    See Paul Wells’ and Chris Selley’s recent columns.

  10. Peter Williams says:

    Questions.
    Will Justin just ignore this threat to Liberal entitlement (like he did on $6000/night hotel rooms)
    Or will Justin say something along the lines of “Our government is working hard to provide value for money to Canadians”
    Or will Justin attempt to deflect by saying he’s asked the head of the Civil Service to look into the matter.
    Or will he denounce Warren’s article as “a misogynistic attack on a fine hard working woman executive.”

    If on the other hand Ms Hudon is fired, I suspect lots of Liberals and cronies will scurry for cover, cause I suspect their excesses are much worse than those of Ms Hudon’s.

  11. Derek Pearce says:

    If you are not a Minister of the Crown or Leader of the Opposition, what are you doing with a chaffeur to begin with? I don’t care if you’re the biggest of bigwigs in any given ministry, get a goddamned Uber or drive yourself.

  12. Pedant says:

    The latest is that many MPs were found to be billing taxpayers for their home internet services. This while ordinary Canadians are forced to pay some of the highest internet and mobile fees in the world.

    Poilievre immediately barred his MPs from doing this any further. The Liberals then rushed to copy Poilievre and announce that their MPs would no longer expense home internet.

    • Martin Dixon says:

      That is all great but there was kind of an argument for it when things were virtual and it is peanuts while much bigger dollars are going to their cronies. It is form over substance.

    • Pedant,

      This is definitely an instance where Pierre single-handedly is looking out for the taxpayer. The other MPs the very day before, not so much. It’s that Hill Privileged Mentality. So, what other gems are to come? And…what about the champagne social democrats and the we are a nation crowd? Crickets on both fronts?

  13. Andy Kaut says:

    We’ve elected the most corrupt government in the history of Canada. Thrice.

    Why should anything they do ever surprise us? At all?

    • Martin Dixon says:

      Certainly not this-sounds like Kirsty Duncan was kicked out of cabinet because she was anti sexual assault. Given the Kokanee grope, tough to get a decent hearing on that issue with this bunch I suppose. Just another day. It boggles my mind that anyone could possibly call this kind of behaviour just “irritating” and are willing to hold their noses and keep electing him.

      But what about PP’s hair!

  14. Martin Dixon says:

    I actually just concluded it doesn’t matter who wins the next election. We are screwed anyway:

    “Earlier in the year, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) elected to scrub exams for grade 9 and 10 students as a means of supporting “the health and well-being of students by removing the pressures associated with exams.””

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-ocdsb-school-exams-week-off-1.6727736?fbclid=IwAR1CKdhPY3oe_HFpD6HoJxyHPg5SIE-o9wA8C0FOvsIhk5DLo5qsL9CoYeM

    • Martin,

      As my late father often said: life is a constant struggle. School Boards that eliminate exams are doing students no favours in life. Wait until some of them get to university. Wait until some of them get plum jobs only to lose them because they can’t hack it in general or crumble under the pressure and performance expectations. Marshmallows crumble in life and that ain’t funny.

      • Martin Dixon says:

        It just reinforces the point PP is making that the country is broken. It actually hurts the better students more.

      • Curious V says:

        They’ll have to write exams to work in finance, or insurance. If they want to be an accountant, a plumber, electrician or a nurse – they’ll have to write exams. Eliminating exams doesn’t make a lot of sense.

        • Martin Dixon says:

          Although I don’t know about the rest of the professions but the accounting finals are way easier to get through than they used to be. I did reasonably well in school and the 4 4 hour exams over 4 days were soul crushing. The day I found out I passed was one of the happiest days of my life(at least according to my mom). Pressure was worse because people just assumed I would pass. I knew better. I figured 50/50 at best. That was the pass rate after you had been weeded out at summer school where 25 per cent flunked. And that was only a couple of months before. So you had to take 45 hours worth of specialized credits and work for a couple of years in the profession and they still weeded our 62.5 per cent in the last few months. Not the case anymore. Be cause for a lawsuit now.

          • Martin,

            My second career choice after broadcasting was the law, not because I actually had any interest in same but to accommodate my Dad who did not like overpriced legal bills. At Carleton, my main concentration was Common Law and I was a C student with a very occasional B. At Laval, quite obviously, I had the pleasure of studying in my second language and was Emperor of Cs and King of Ds. Somehow, after probation in my second year, I got through it and went on to the Bar where I failed more exams than I passed. In the next round, I finally passed by the Grace of God. I never practiced full-time and am so thankful for that given the well-deserved reputation of colleagues in litigation and criminal law. Need I say more? But I digress. So, I hit the courts a few times and mostly filed for automatic judgments. I will not miss the profession when I leave it at the end of March.

          • For those of you in a Common Law jurisdiction: summary judgments (civil litigation).

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