CTF Uncovers MacKay’s $1,452 a Night Hotel Tab
$2,904 for two nights in Munich hotel
$2,310 for three nights in Istanbul hotel
Peter’s Excellent Adventure: Part I
Defence Minister Peter MacKay charged taxpayers $2,904 for a two-night stay at the luxurious Bayerischer Hof when he went to a security conference in Munich, Germany in February of 2010. MacKay arrived in Munich after attending an informal meeting of NATO defence ministers in Turkey, where he billed taxpayers $2,310 for a three-night stay at Istanbul’s Ceylon Intercontinental Hotel. At $1,452 and $770 a night respectively, these room tabs go far beyond what most taxpayers would consider reasonable.
In Munich, MacKay’s staff stayed at the Munich Park Hilton, an eight-minute cab ride away, for $239 a night. In Istanbul, MacKay’s staff stayed in the same hotel, but paid $276 per night.
Frommer’s travel guide lists the Bayerischer Hof first in its section of “very expensive” hotels in Central Munich. Fodor’s Travel Intelligence claims that that “King Ludwig I of Bavaria paid regular visits to take a royal bath,” there.
Clearly, the Defence Minster has some explaining to do.
Using Access to Information requests, the CTF has examined the details of the Minister’s spending since he took over at DND.
A detailed backgrounder of the CTF’s research can be found HERE.
More to follow.
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Comments
Did anyone else check to see
Did anyone else check to see what the rates at the Bayerischer Hof are?
It seems that by today's rates, that Mr MacKay stayed in a ROOM, and not even in a standard junior suite, never mind a deluxe junior suite. If the rest of his staff stayed off site at another hotel, that should be testament enough that his office's spending wasn't profligate, but prudent. I'm not sure what value can be placed on saving millions by having the right person present at the right time and at the right place to speak to the right people, but it's far better value-for-money to spend some coin on a "just enough" hotel room at a swanky over-the-top luxury location that to have to find our own way in the world, going cap in hand to eight or ten capitals, waiting in someone's crowded constituency office as supplicants, hoping to catch sight of an important peer, and maybe touch his robes, begging if it would please be OK if we could humbly have a word with them about something that might concern both of us. Grow up, Canada. That might be how you want it done when whatever party you voted for isn't in power, but truth be told, I want Canada's National Government, whichever party constitutes it at any given time, to be seen to be appropriately engaged. Putting a Minister in a room, instead of a suite, and his staff in an off-site hotel was certainly a means of moderating expenses because of Canadians' unreasonable partisan penchant to pillory anyone who won't commit to a vow of poverty while in their nation's service. Perhaps if our Ministers wore hair shirts to these meetings, slept on straw beds, and flogged themselves nightly, you'd all be happy, but somehow, I think some of you would still complain that the straw was dry (and not miserably wet), or that the leather tails should have bigger knots tied at their tips.
such an inadequate report.
such an inadequate report. So little information is provided, merely hype, so how am I supposed to know whether the room included conference space, additional conference-related expenses, etc? No way to tell from this what was actually justifiable
Can't anyone spell on this
Can't anyone spell on this board? It's DEFENCE not DEFENSE! Don't be so lazy. Stop using default US spell checkers.
Very disappointed, but not
Very disappointed, but not surprised, to see this Minister once again throwing away tax-payer money on his largess. Honestly, "fiscal-restraint", a time of "belt-tightening"... this government loves these buzz words but the reality is they do not live by them!
The Canadian Taxpayer
The Canadian Taxpayer Federation is politically linked to the old school Reform Party Conservatives. Is that why Peter Mackay was investigated and not the other conservatives who have similar hotel stays. Maybe, but it sure looks like a possibility. The Canadian Taxpayers do need a watchdog but not one with a political agenda.
If the hotel is where the
If the hotel is where the other delegates were all staying, than it is the cost of business. At these conferences discussions happen during less formal settings after the schedule of the day is done. Having Mr McKay stay in a roach motel tuning rabbit ears while other delegates discuss security matters at a finer hotel would seem like a REAL waste of tax-payer money.
Then again, maybe he was just walking around all night in a robe with a cigar and a beautiful girl on each arm while taxpayers foot the bill.
So put down the pitch-forks and douse the torches for now, but keep them close at hand.
Harper, MacKay and the rest
Harper, MacKay and the rest of the Harpocrytes are ruining this country and they are getting away with it. Thier smirks say it all. Sad to watch. Painful to live through
Poo-poo pee-pee DOODY PANTS!!
Poo-poo pee-pee DOODY PANTS!!
Please get a life. All of
Please get a life. All of you conservative haters remind me of the chicken farm where the chickens look constantly for any sign of weakness so they can pick it to death.
So, our ministers are supposed to go on official business and entertain their counterparts from other countries from a $200 hotel room. We would look like an impoverished third world country.
I want them to go and look affluent and profitable and successful when they represent Canada.
Don't listen to these low life whiners.
All of the politicians are
All of the politicians are there to serve the public but as usual they only ones being served are themselves. Private planes for hockey games, hunting trips,fake exercises for search and rescue so someone doesn't have to travel the way other citizens do welcome to equality and democracy. Line your pockets and do a disservice to the public and after you are out get invited to be a board of director, lobbyist or senator. Then the media and government talk about the lack of voters exercising their right to vote,well if they are all in for the same thing(for themselves) why bother as no one is accountable.
Yes, Dear Canadian Citizens ,
Yes, Dear Canadian Citizens , you voted for them, now pay for them..., and pay for them ...and...and...You reap what you sow.Good one, Peter, rub our nose in it.
Has anyone here ever been to
Has anyone here ever been to a conference????the price is a bit high but if that is the Hotel the Conference is at that is the price of admission...and being there is important to Canada's standing and participation in the Security Sector.
I am sure he has done some stupid things but I fail to see how this is his fault...whoever holds this position will be going there every year so get used to it.
I'm willing to bet McKay
I'm willing to bet McKay stayed in the most expensive rooms available with prices like that. I guarantee you both those hotels have cheaper rooms, especially singles. McKay seems to think he gets to stay in the penthouse suite on the taxpayers' dime.
" being there is important
" being there is important to Canada's standing and participation in the Security Sector."
Have you ever seen the environment a soldier lives and sleeps in, they might be considered important to the "Security Sector", their accomodations have a few less amenities than Mr. Mackay's typical hotel room.
This is so typical for
This is so typical for so-called "Fiscal Conservatives." Whenever some career-politician (Look up their records. These types usually started politics in high school) promises to "cut waste" or some such thing, what they really mean is, that they are going to redirect your tax dollars towards their friends, while cutting the services and benefits that previous generations of Canadians fought so dearly for.
Diefenbaker killed the CF105 Avro Arrow fighter program to "cut waste." We ended up with used Voodoo fighters that cost more-per-plane than the Arrows, while being only half as fast.
Mulroney decided to "cut waste" by making it nearly impossible to collect unemployment insurance in this country. Meanwhile, he destroyed countless Canadian manufacturers and lost Canadians half a million manufacturing jobs by introducing his so-called "Free Trade." I wonder how much payola he got for doing that?
Now Harper is doing even more damage to our economy while wasting record amounts of taxpayer dollars! When will Canadians ever learn? Do not trust the Conservatives. They will not save you any money. They will simply siphon it off and divert it to their friends.
Oh ,for the love of God ,
Oh ,for the love of God , stop whyning about your precious tax dollars people. These guys are doing a job here,and if you're not in favor of what they do ,don't re-elect them. I don't want my kids sleeping in a hell-hole overseas. I want them to be in a secure place...Jeeezz
why don't you just give them
why don't you just give them more of your tax dollars.
You think it's fine and you have a right to. I don't think it's ok, and I can't wait four years every time I am taken advantge of.
People gave Prince Peter and
People gave Prince Peter and King Stephen the "go-ahead" to take shameless advantage of normal Canadians by rewarding their behaviour with a majority government. We can bitch and complain and question all we want, but until John Q. Public wakes up and smells the stench of entitlement, our personal tax dollars will be used by the comfortably rich to take advantage of the normal Canadian citizen. It is very much like the Americans when the majority re-elected Bush....we were astonished and horrified that the voters were so blind. I am sure they thought exactly the same thing about us when King S was rewarded for bad behaviour by being given carte blanche to take advantage of all of us and squander our tax dollars on his personal comforts and Peter's rock star lifestyle. Shame on both of them, but especially, shame on us for giving them the power to screw us over.
Yes they have a majority
Yes they have a majority government, but it is one of the weaknesses of the parliamentary system that a majority of citizens voted for other parities and in this case I believe actually voted against the conservative party and harper in particular. Now we are stuck with them. I am only moderately incensed by the pricey hotel - much more so by the uupiogype necessary and very costly chopper ride. He should go!
What shocks me is that, the
What shocks me is that, the article goes on about how all this was done for the good of the people bla bla bla. Ever ask these 'people' wht is good for them? One thing for sure, lower debts. However, with this prince prancing about like he owns the joint and has Canadian citizen as his lenders is wrong. Why spend so much when you can stay comfortably in a cheaper room? Are you going to host a talk show or party in this 1400 p/n room? Only sleep, dont need ten chairs and a dining table or gold sinks for a good nights sleep. Canadian government seems to be in infancy when compared to down south. Seems like Canadian politicians have found an example to follow.
This is it for the Minister.
This is it for the Minister. My prediction is that Harper will ask him to resign from that post but NOT as MP. Though in fairness and to save face, he should be asking McKay to do so.
Dear Christian Tobin: I agree
Dear Christian Tobin:
I agree that Mackay should resign due to corrupt spending practises. However, I'm not sure if you meant that Harper should be asking McKay to resign as just minister (which if fine) or as MP too (which is not OK; McKay can be kicked out of caucus but not out of his role as MP).
It is important to know that an MP is NOT an employee with a boss; the only boss an MP can and should have are the voters. that is the whole point of democracy. If Harper could force an MP to resign as MP then Canada has become a dictatorship.
All hail King Steve and his
All hail King Steve and his courtiers...jerks.
Plus ça change, plus ça meme
Plus ça change, plus ça meme chose. (The more things change, the more they stay the same.) And you guys expected open and transparent government from these authoritarian, borrow-and-spend types. Dream on. It's all about the pursuit of power at any cost. Pander to the special interests while building up a MASSIVE deficit. Deny. Finger-point. Take credit for actions that are not theirs. Blame everyone else. Claim to be good stewards of our finances while pissing it all away on pork-barrel politics—think Muskoka—lying to Parliament, ignoring other voices in Canadian society that differ from their opinions, ignore facts when it suits them, conduct witch-hunts in the bureaucracy to ferret out dissenting voices and scaring others into submission, redacting documents and on and on and on …
This group has done virtually nothing other than politics since they were in their teens.
Stephen Harper - career politician, control freak, petulant micro manager and egomaniac
John Baird - career politician and boisterous Harper acolyte—obviously some form of compensation
Peter MacKay - career politician carrying on the family business which is drinking from the public trough
Stockwell Day - career politician - Too bad Stockwell didn't clear his conscience—before put out to pasture with the other dinosaurs (double entendre intended)—by repaying the $792,064 in taxpayer funds that the Government of Alberta paid to settle a defamation lawsuit brought against him due to his abject inability to comprehend even the basics of our judicial system. That would, at the very least, be a good start at the redemption he so desperately needs.
Jim Flaherty - career politician and deficit king as finance minster
Tony Clement - career politician and head pork-barrel minister
Jason Kenny - career politician who doesn't know the definition of impartiality in the media (or elsewhere)
Pierre Poilievre- career politician and SMUGNESS personified
Rob Anders - career politician, occasional napper
NONE of them are "Here for you" but they are entitled to their entitlements. NOT!
@ Thu, 2011-12-15 08:14: What
@ Thu, 2011-12-15 08:14:
What does being a defense minister have anything to do with wasting tax dollars on luxurious hotels? Just because a hotel has more stars doesn't necessarily mean it's more secure for VIPs.
There's no excuse for this. But as always, the Harper government will get away with it.
there are worse things out
there are worse things out there...find and publish them and stop trying to be so Politically correct. Go after the real money wasters.
His boss approves his travel
His boss approves his travel expenditures. So, if you want someone to be accountable look no further than Steve the phony conservative.
Hey, it was for a search and
Hey, it was for a search and rescue training exercise and emergency government business.
At least it is if he sticks to previous lies about outrageous spending.
I think that our defense
I think that our defense minister should be able to stay at the nicest hotel available....he IS our defense department!
While he should be able to
While he should be able to stay at a nice hotel, he is not royalty and is essentially paid by the taxpayer. And he is the minister of defense, but NOT our defense department in whole, he is like the DND's executive. He isn't even the commander in chief, isn't that the Governor General on behalf of Her Majesty?
Why do you think that Peter
Why do you think that Peter should be able to stay in the nicest hotel available?
Entitlement? As a fiscal conservative, I say "No way".
Canada's own Royal, Prince
Canada's own Royal, Prince Peter, is having a jolly ol' time!
Certainly not a fiscal
Certainly not a fiscal conservative!
Looks like our "Tax Dollars at Play".
And did he arrange for his
And did he arrange for his personal use helicopter on the roof?
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