Canada In The Midst Of A Serious Corruption Crisis.

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Mark Townsend admits to making manymistakes, but says he simply “followedhis heart” when it came to spending decisionsat the Portland Hotel Society. Theoutgoing executive director of the organizationserving Vancouver’s DowntownEastside held fast to his stand that thesociety’s leaders needed to travel to NewYork and other cities in order to advocatefor their poor and vulnerable clients.

Vancouver – This week has been arecord-breaking week for scandal andcorruption in BC. The Portland HotelSociety which is contracted by governmentto supply services in the DowntownEastside, Canada’s poorest neighbourhood,has been blowing their nearly $30 million inannual government funding on expensivehotel bills, spa visits and at least one allexpensivepaid trip to Disneyland for MLAJenny Kwan and her family. And nowSpeaker Linda Reid, who has already beencriticized for having spent around $90,000in public funds on perks and redecorating,has more recently been scrutinized forbooking her husband a first-class safari toSouth Africa on the taxpayer’s dime.Mark Townsend and his wife LizEvans were until last week co-executivedirectors of PHS. Both were each paidmore than $120,000 per year, and on topof that charged PHS between $1,400 to$1,600 every month for use of a “homeoffice” in the basement of their Vancouverhome, and over three years that have beenreviewed they billed $11,000 to have thespace cleaned on a regular basis. Townsendracked up more than $470,000 on his creditcard in three years, while his wife chargedanother $140,000 on frivolous itemssuch as getting her hair blown out for apresentation.Next door in Alberta, Premier AllisonRedford was forced to resign this monthfollowing revelations that her chief ofstaff, Farouk Adatia, earned $316,274.69in 2013 which is more than his counterpartin the Whitehouse! Redford also chargedthe treasury $45,000 to attend PresidentNelson Mandel’s funeral.In fact it is only until a few monthsago that the Senate was asked to providepublic justification for their lavish personalspending. Senators Duffy, Wallin, Brazeau,and Harb used this climate of ambiguity tocollectively swindle taxpayers out of nearlyhalf a million in phoney living and travelcosts. In early 2013, an audit of Attawapiskatchief Teresa Spence’s administrationfound $104 million in undocumentedspending. In Quebec there has been millionsof dollars in illegal political partydonations, kickback charges to two citymayors and a city manager, and riggedconstruction contracts awarded to dubiouscompanies. Thanks to Quebec,specifically SNC-Lavalin, Canada topsthe World Bank’s official tally of countrieswith the most corrupt corporations.Let’s shift to our national leaders. FederalNDP leader Tom Mulcair was offered abribe by a former mayor and then proceededto cover it up for years. FormerNDP leader Jack Layton was living in an$800 a month rent-controlled apartmentdespite making way over the income cutoff.Justin Trudeau billed charities forpublic-speaking engagements while anMP. And let’s not forget former toprankingCanadian general, and now policyadvisor to Trudeau, Andrew Lesliewho billed the government $72,000 intravel expenses for a move from hisOttawa home to another residence withinthe city.Like most westerners, we tend to think ofcorruption as entrenched in the developingcountries of the Third World.However, after this week’s scandals comingto light, it is clear that Canadians,especially those in public office, need todo some self-interested soul searching.We must ask questions and hold those inpublic office accountable for theiractions. We must remember that democracyand economic development are notguarantees of immunity from the occurrenceof serious improbity.