Gov't Paper Flood to Cover Up Stimulus Advertising Cost: 200 Pages in a Single, Simple Request

paper-pile-lgAs generals have their classic tactics in war - pincer, envelopment - governments have theirs in blocking the free-flow of information: paper flooding. A 'paper flood' is a torrent of documents sent in response to an Access to Information (ATIP) request with each detailburied in a vast pile of hardened pulp.

Recent requests by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) into what the federal government spent on advertizing its stimulus (read deficit) campaign were met by rebuffs from central government departments (such as Treasury Board and Public Works) to file other requests with an array of specific departments. Each and every one of the departments filed with, flooded theCTF's Ottawa office with hundreds of pages of documents, specifying individual (and essentially) meaningless media buys.

For example: Finance Canada bought 60 seconds in Edmonton, played in Cantonese on Omni News. It also paid for an ad-space in the Valley Times, a local paper in Port Alberni, BC. All fine and great, but 111 pages of spreadsheets for a single department's advertising means that in practical terms, you have no information. 

Check out HRSDC's response to the CTF: 200 pages of alphabetized words used for 'Google Ad-Word' purchases. 

The "stimulus" campaign and the critical plan to sell it to Canadians with their own money is wasteful enough, but the government's attempts hide how much is really costs is just the latest break in its 2006 campaign promise to bring accountability to Ottawa.

By: Derek Fildebrandt
Posted: March 08, 2010
Topic: Federal

Bookmark and Share Join Us   |   Donate

Comments

What a list

How did they come up with all these words to advertise? Are taxpayers funding everything on that list? Wow.

Good find, Derek! Keep digging!

Great Article

hey you have raised a very important issue this is just great keep up your good work

Eliminate the Governar Gerneral Position

I think we should eliminate the Governor General position and it will certainly save us a lot of money.  It seems to me that whoever is in that position, all they do is continue to spend our tax payer's money on their own personal use such as travelling and personal spending.  Buying expensive clothing and travelling to her home town in overseas, she should pay for it herself and not my money.  Enough of this garbage.  This is just wrong!  We can have much better use for our tax money.  Get rid of this position...unless the appointment is for me then it will be okay.  I would like to live in a nice house; all expenses are all paid for by others and get paid for doing nothing too.  This is a ridiculous position.  We are no longer part of the British colony; this is a useless figurehead position.

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Canada's Federal Debt

Your Share

The federal government is adding $88 million a day to our debt. At this rate, the $105-billion in debt repayment between 1997 – 2008 will be wiped out this year. Support our campaign for a federal balanced budget law and help us STOP this clock.

View Debt »

Spokespeople & Blog

In five provinces and Ottawa a team of dedicated professionals is standing up to special interests, ensuring that taxpayers' voices are being heard.

View all spokespeople »
Go to Blog »

In The News

 

 

Sign-Up

Join with over 70,000 Canadian taxpayers. Get instant action updates and make a difference.

64,232

Donate
Take Action

Vimeo video Facebook Twitter RSS Feed YouTube Channel