Michael Ignatieff

[G8 and G20 Summits, June 10th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, this summit could have been practical, could have been focused, could have been modest, could have been oh so Canadian, and instead, it has morphed into a kind of monster.

Perhaps the Prime Minister could explain how he managed to lose control of Canada's moment in the sun, because everybody knows that the only thing anybody is going to remember from this summit is “Lake Wastamataxes”.

[G8 and G20 Summits, June 10th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker—

[G8 and G20 Summits, June 10th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, now I am hearing a change in position after the pressure they have been under in recent weeks. That is a good thing.

Even France is saying that the costs of this summit are getting out of control, and France knows something about extravagance. Its foreign minister is making jokes about the lake.

How can the Prime Minister preach austerity and restraint to Canadians and his G20 colleagues when he has lost control of the cost of his own summit?

[G8 and G20 Summits, June 10th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, six Nobel laureates are calling on this government to put the environment on the G20 agenda. The Mexican president and the UN Secretary-General called for the same thing here in Ottawa a few weeks ago.

Why is the Prime Minister the only person in the world who thinks that we can talk about the economic recovery at the G20 without talking about the environment?

[G8 and G20 Summits, June 9th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the economy.

Hungary is in danger, Greece is struggling and Spain is next in line. The world is looking to the G20 and to Canada for economic leadership but, instead of providing it, the Prime Minister seems to think he is running a convention for travel writers.

Why does he not understand that we are throwing away a once in a lifetime opportunity for Canadian leadership?

[G8 and G20 Summits, June 9th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, it is no good hiding behind the Olympics. The government's story keeps changing every day.

Yesterday it was $2 million for a fake lake, then it was just a fake alley and then it was just $57,000 for the water. Then the government hired security guards who do not even have approval in Ontario.

Money seems to be gushing out of half a dozen secret slush funds. This thing is out of control.

When will the Prime Minister get a grip and tell Canadians the honest truth about what this boondoggle is costing us?

[G8 and G20 Summits, June 9th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, we have a fake lake, a boat that does not float and even washrooms 20 km away from the leaders. This attempt to promote Canada is turning us into a laughingstock. The government has not only lost control of the costs, it is being ridiculed around the world.

When will the Prime Minister get this summit under control and when will he pull the plug on this comedy of errors?

[G8 and G20 Summits, June 8th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives can try to justify these expenses, but it just does not add up. Canadians are asking simple questions such as, “We spent $1 billion and all we got was this lousy fake lake?” That is not the end of it. They are asking about the agenda. There is no progress on key issues. Many issues are not even on the agenda.

Canadians wanted leadership and what they got was a fake lake. How does the Prime Minister explain this?

[G8 and G20 Summits, June 8th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, what do fake lakes, gazebos and boats that do not float have to do with security? The issue is not just the waste of money, it is that the summit promises to deliver so little on climate change, on women's rights, on jobs and growth. This summit looks like a billion dollar speed bump on the road to the real summit which will be in Korea at the end of this year.

How can the Prime Minister justify this expense for so little possible result?

[G8 and G20 Summits, June 8th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are paying $1 billion for the G8 and G20 summits, and are getting nothing in return, except a fake lake. The amount of taxpayer money being wasted on this event is shocking.

Why is the Prime Minister telling other countries how to manage their money, when he is wasting the money of Canadian taxpayers?