"Martin's negligence" costs Canadians plenty: Tories

The president of the Nipissing-Timiskaming Federal Conservative Association says federal money used for sponsorship programs could have gone to far better use.

Details are included in the following release issued by the association today at 11 a.m.:
____________________________________________________________

Martin’s negligence costs Canadian Taxpayers $60 Million

(North Bay)
Nipissing-Timiskaming Federal Conservative president Gordan Rennie says Paul Martin’s negligence has cost Canadian taxpayers $60 million.

According to the Auditor General’s recent report, the sponsorship program cost at least $250 million, of which $100 million went to fees and commission from advertising companies, who in many cases did little or no work. Estimates suggest that as much as $60 million is unaccounted for.

Your income tax dollars wasted:

· Given the average annual income in Canada of $25,196 (1996 Census), 2,381 Canadians could have been paid for a year;

· According to the Fraser Institute, on an income of $25,000, the average Canadian pays an annual tax of approximately $8,452 per year. Therefore, the $60 million represents the loss of the taxes of 7,099 Canadians;

· In many rural areas, this is the equivalent to all the income tax paid by a town going into the pockets of Liberal friends.

Instead of paying off Liberal friends of the government, imagine what that $60 million could have been used for:

· The $60 million could have paid for 8 years of salary for 133 new police officers (An average salary of $56,250 per year over the first 8 years);

· $60 million could have paid for the annual salary of about 1,500 Ontario nurses (average salary being around $40,000);

· $60 million could have paid for between 24 and 60 installed MRIs (the cost of an MRI with installation being between $1 million and $2.5 million).

“Paul Martin was finance minister while taxpayers dollars were being squandered on the friends of the Liberal Party,” Rennie said.

“He was the number two man in government for the last ten years. He cannot simply hide behind Chrétien and say he knew nothing. His call for a public inquiry is simply an attempt to divert attention from this scandal until after the next election.”