Let’s do a quick association game. You know the kind. I say something— “Stanley Cup”—and you say the first word that comes to mind (like “Bieksa”). Ready? Here goes. I’ll say: “A bunch of politicians from towns and cities across Canada come to Halifax to talk about stuff like homelessness.” What did you think of? “Boring” is obvious. If your glass is half full, maybe “progress.” Half empty, “useless.” But if you were actually at the meeting, where the glasses risked overflowing and spilling beer and wine onto the lobster, you’d know the right answer is “decadent.”
Locally, last weekend’s Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference gained infamy as Peter Kelly’s reason for delaying the concert scandal report. Otherwise it flew under the radar for Haligonians as a pretty standard (“boring”) gathering of civic leaders. At least one delegate who came to Halifax for the FCM, however, is in trouble with her constituents for revealing too much of what the pols are really getting up to.
As Vancouver’s 24 Hours reports:
Counc. Heather Deal posted online photos of the “carnage” left behind from a Sunday night feast she and other municipal leaders were treated to during a Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ meeting in Halifax.
She linked a photo of a ravaged dinner table, complete with empty wine glasses, raided lobster tails, crumpled napkins and a stained tablecloth.
That same day, Deal – whose Nova Scotia trip was funded by taxpayers – also tweeted about shopping at the Halifax market and the “swag” conference delegates received.
The Vision Vancouver councillor – who attended a session on homelessness the following day – didn’t respond to a request for an interview, but her social media posts have raised eyebrows among homeless advocates.
“It would be nice if public officials didn’t eat higher on the hog than the rest of us,” said Jean Swanson of the Carnegie Community Action Project, a group that works on housing issues in the Downtown Eastside. “You know, 26.6 per cent of people in Vancouver live under the poverty line. It would be a kind of a concrete solidarity with other people if you didn’t eat like that.”
You’re a citizen. What does this sort of behaviour by elected officials make you think of? This time, your answer doesn’t have to be just one word.
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This article appears in Jun 9-15, 2011.
“It would be nice if public officials didn’t eat higher on the hog than the rest of us,” said Jean Swanson of the Carnegie Community Action Project, a group that works on housing issues in the Downtown Eastside ‘
Try telling that to Libby Davies, the NDP MP for one of the worst slums in the world. I thought I had seen it all until I was in the DE.
Heather Deal is from the left side of the political spectrum : http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/mayorcouncil/…
Two entirely different thoughts can be made. If this meal came out of the politician’s salary (out of pocket), then they can eat whatever the fuck they want without a microscope on them.
But, being a conference outing, there are per diems for meals, breakfast (if not included with the hotel), lunch, and dinner; $10, $15, and $25 respectively. One can only claim a certain amount and anything above it would not be covered. If one wanted, they could forgo breakfast and lunch and opt for a large supper and have $50 covered (some places allow that, others don’t).
People have to eat, and as long as the taxpayer does not covers a $125 plate, I see no problems with an extravagant dinner.
I agree with you Al. And being from the east coast, I’ve been on tax payer funded trips out west too to conferences. And we ate well, were treated well and had a great time. We went to the sessions, met a ton of people, got some great ideas and reported back. But anything extra, including my shopping was funded by me. Of course, I went on behalf of a community that required stringent reporting… so I was held accountable.
I think her lack of, um, common sense in posting some of this stuff is the problem. All she has to do is answer to it. The host city, really, is the one that should be more worried about the expenses because it was Halifax subsidizing the grub.
and let’s not forget – this lobster dinner was probably part of the function. This was being held in NS after all!
you can’t control the meals or the swag bags being provided by the host city.
And remember lobster is only about a buck higher a pound than hamburger.
Get over yourselves !
They came to Nova Scotia & ate lobster… its like an Atlantic Canadian claim to fame & Lobster is CHEAP ! It can be had for 5 bucks a pound all over the place.
Even cheaper if you’re buying a shitload of it…like 500 lbs of lobster for a dinner like that, as little as $4.25 from a fishermans holding pound.
Go price Prime rib by the pound, or a top strip loin steak…lobsters not as pricey here as it is say in Alberta or other points out west.