[ridenrain]

Rev. That's fair but add in the heritage, Indian affairs and a number of other ministries that the auditor general isn't allowed to audit.

[Reverend Blair]

Just as soon as Harper tells us what he's spending in Afghanistan.

[ridenrain]

So instead of fighting government waste in general, you just want to play politics. Isn't that predictable.

We're still waiting for David Dingwald to add up the Liberal part of the bill for Chretien's war.

[roger-roger]

I really dont know why he wants to know the total so bad anyway. If he is trying to prove that all the money that was spent did not return an investment I can tell him right now that it didnt. Canada did not go into Afghanistan hoping to make money; War is a money pit, no doubt about it. By finding out exactly what was spent if he hopes to stand on the soap box and say " SEE! SEE! It was a waste of money!" he will be sorely mistaken. What that would end up doing, is put a price tag on everything thing that the military did. A military engagement is not totally run by how much it costs. There are budgets sure, but really what would it prove if Harper went over budget for Afghanistan. Will he be able to pick apart every nickel and dime spent, saying that we should have bought cheaper batteries or that we spent to much on bottled water? No. Rev will sit upon his high horse and say that we spent too much, and that we should have stayed home. He will never look at how we improved the country, never look at how Canada was able to get its honour and reputation back, and he will never see that even though Harper went over budget (if he even did) it was spent on necessities to make Canada the most competent and versatile fighting force in Afghanistan.

[Streaker]

Eisensapper Eisensapper:

....never look at how Canada was able to get its honour and reputation back....

No. The military doesn't define Canada, fortunately.

[ridenrain]

The Plains of Abraham did.

[roger-roger]

Streaker Streaker:

Eisensapper Eisensapper:

....never look at how Canada was able to get its honour and reputation back....

No. The military doesn't define Canada, fortunately.

Your sure out in force today, was it the "Yeast Infection of CKA" comment that got your panties in a twist?

[Streaker]

Eisensapper Eisensapper:

Streaker Streaker:

Eisensapper Eisensapper:

....never look at how Canada was able to get its honour and reputation back....

No. The military doesn't define Canada, fortunately.

Your sure out in force today, was it the "Yeast Infection of CKA" comment that got your panties in a twist?

Got a laugh out of that one, actually.

[Reverend Blair]

Nice try, Sapper, but why do you think your buddy Ridenrain wants to know about every cent spent by Indian Affairs over the years? So he can bitch about every cent spent without ever understanding a single program or initiative.

You know why I want to know the total? Because how we spend and on what does matter. I don't care how much they spend on batteries or bullets or recreational material to keep the troops entertained during their off hours. I do want to know how military spending relates to aid spending and why Harper has chopped foreign aid, making Canada an international shirker when it comes to fulfilling our responsibilities.

I also want to if and how much we're spending on "private security." If Harper and crew have taken to hiring mercenaries, then we need to know. We've signed more than one international agreement that prohibits the use of mercenaries, and if we're using them then Harper and company are breaking international law. We need to know that.

It is very much that kind of thing that should be a matter of public discussion, not kept hidden by the most secretive government this country has ever had.

[roger-roger]

I can tell you right now Canada does not hire private security firms. The military has special branches of the Military Police that are better trained and more dedicated then any private firm could be.

You do bring up a very valid point on foreign aid though, I had not thought about that aspect and if you are correct the Harper government should be criticized on it.

I am sorry my previous post got off on kind of a rant there; it was my frustration spilling over from another thread.

[Reverend Blair]

There have been reports of Canada hiring private security though. How accurate are they? Well, knowing if the money was spent on them would clear that right up, wouldn't it?

Harper has cut foreign aid from 0.34% to about 0.2% of GDP. He's slashed aid spending outside of Afghanistan and the best estimates for Afghanistan are for about 10 cents of aid money for every dollar of military spending.

Canada was instrumental in setting the international goal of 0.7% of GDP for aid back when Pearson was PM. When he was in opposition Harper signed a letter, along with Layton and Duceppe, urging Martin to increase spending on foreign aid.

[roger-roger]

That would clear things up, the only way I could see private security being hired is if Canada contracted an agency to say Clear Mind Fields (call them CMF), and then if CMF hired private security firms to protect them while they were working.

Oh I think I know something close to what you are talking about though. There is a private group in the states (the name escapes me for the moment) that has trained CF instuctors and soldiers going over seas as well. They also instruct deparments of the American SWAT teams and some special forces groups out of the US Army. I cant recall if they do mercenary work though. Part of course I recently did on explosive breaching came from this group in the states.

[Keemo]

I want to know the total because it is public money, and as a tax payer, I have the right to know. Plain and simple. As for the mission in Afghanistan, it was and still is a necessary one.We were right to refuse to help Bush in his oil war, and are following our long standing mandate to participate in UN sanctioned actions such as Afghanistan. The Taliban have not given up, the infrastructure needed to bring the area into this century is not yet there.

[ridenrain]

Why now? Why didn't the NDP demand this back in 2006 when Paul Martin was desperate to stay in power? Why wasn't the lap-dog media interested in the story at that time?

I'd like them to keep tabs on it and see the numbers but it still was a political reason to go there and the opposition simply playing politics. If the Libs didn't want to spend that money, they shouldn't have put us there.

I'd also like to see alot of other ministries opened up to audits too.

[DerbyX]

They did demand it then, in fact you were the person crying that the Liberals were running a closed and secret govt. Now you sing a different tune.

Now that you are desperate to deflect all blame for the worsening situation in Afghanistan and the fact that the 2011 date you guys previously called nothing less then a cut and run is now Harpers campaign sound bite. Unless of course you believe and support entirely that it is a promise he made to win support from those tireing of the war and its a promise he doesn't intend to keep.

Yet again though we find you falling back on your tried and true mantra "But the Libs did it ...".

Even if the Libs didn't open the books doesn't mean Harper has no responsibility too especially considering it was one of the many things he complained about only to immediately adopt it as policy.

Hypocrite, thy name is conservative.