The Political Economy

 

 

Of the $34.5 million the Conservative government has doled out for accessible infrastructure since 2011, almost three-quarters went to Conservative ridings, newly-released documents show.

And last year, more than a third of it – about $6.6 million – went unspent altogether, which means it just gets sent back to general government coffers.

 

“This was politically-biased in favour of Conservative ridings,” said Liberal MP John McCallum.

 

Buying votes, in other words.  It's no different than the hospitality costs government officials lavish on potential investors, or consultants on themselves. 

 

It's the cost of doing business, really - people buy relationships first, products second.  It's the kind of thing Preston Manning started the Reform Party to stand against.  It's not Manning's party now.