Conservative Government’s Fiscal Responsibility Called into Question by Wasteful G8/G20 Planning Decisions

The Green Party of Canada is condemning the massive extra expense of having the G8/G20 meetings over 72 hours in two separate locations, especially when Canada is running a huge budget deficit.  “This is fiscal irresponsibility, plain and simple,” said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. “Taxpayers are entitled to a full accounting of how this summit is costing us over a billion dollars.”

A large chunk of the billion dollar price tag goes toward security.  The Canadian event is turning out to be nine times more expensive than the G8 summit held in Scotland in 2005 and twenty times more expensive than the G20 summit held in London, England, in 2009.  The Conservative government’s March 2010 budget had set aside $179 million for security at the G8 and G20 meetings.

“A billion dollars can build a lot of housing, can feed a lot of children, could ensure clean water for a lot of people or even pay down debt” said National Revenue Critic Erich Jacoby-Hawkins. “There are a lot of questions here.  Why is the government spending so much? What kind of value does this expenditure offer, especially when there is already so much discontent about the agenda that Prime Minister Harper has put together?”

“At the very least, the costs of these summits really demand that something useful be done,” said May. “Unfortunately, the Harper government is controlling the agenda to ensure that the vital topic of climate change will not be addressed at all in the G20 and only briefly in the G8, despite the overwhelming impact it will have on the world’s poorest nations, the global economy and our children’s' future.”

Contact Information:
Debra Eindiguer
Press Secretary
C: 613.240.8921
media@greenparty.ca