Usually not shy to criticize government spending, the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation has remained noticeably silent following the news that Alberta's Auditor General Fred Dunn has delayed or cancelled 27 of 80 planned financial or systematic audits because of financial constraints.
As an articulate commenter on a previous post wrote, the Office of the Auditor General exists to provide "clear, nonpartisan feedback on the finances of the various functions of government. Their job is to provide what amounts to constructive financial criticism to governments about the way programs, departments and ministries spend money. The better the auditor general, the tighter the financial ship."
The Canadian Taxpayers' Federation lists dedication to less waste and accountable government as two of its main goals, so it seems to me that if there were one area of spending that the CTF would publicly support, it would be for the people who are in charge of the audits that create less waste and more accountable government.
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Didn't the CTPF also come out against cutting the natural gas rebate. A program that has cost AB as much as the gun registry, which they've also come out against, has for the feds?
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. Thanks for pointing this out.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the CTF? Where is Scott Hennig!?! Scott! Where are you on this one! Taxpayers' need your help!!
ReplyDeleteIt's not much of a surprise that the CTF would be less keen to point out these things, and a measure less critical when it comes to conservative politicians.
ReplyDeleteThere's plenty of cross-pollination between the Taxpayers' Federation and conservative parties; Jason Kenney is probably the most high-profile example, but their current Alberta Director, Scott Hennig, also worked for the Alberta Government Members' Research Branch.
Oh geez, RC! Busted us again. How will we ever be able to complete the great right-wing conspiracy with people like you around? In case you're too young to remember, the GoA and CTF have a very unpleasant relationship, dating back to when a certain member of the Klein cabal basically threw Kenney up against a wall and threatened to tear him a new one (unfortunate, I agree that he never delivered on his promise). I hardly think Scott's funding depends on his kissing Alberta Tory ass.
ReplyDeleteI said that there was cross-pollenation, not collusion; and there's a big difference between the two.
ReplyDeleteBut it's not unreasonable to assume that the measure of cross-pollenation between the CTF and conservative parties would arguably lead to more sympathy by folks in the CTF towards conservative politicians; thus, their pencils would be somewhat duller when it comes to being critical of them. I'm not saying that it would always be intentional or a conscious decision, either. It just shakes loose that way; That's okay.
And I have no doubt you're right, that Mr. Hennig's CTF funding doesn't depend on kissing Tory ass. But he's still a young fella - you don't think he wants to be in their Alberta director forever, do you?