Office of the Leader of the Opposition
Bureau du Chef de l’opposition
Reality Check
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2004
Veterans Grounded While Martin Flies High
OTTAWA - According to Veterans’ Affairs, approximately one-quarter of the
80,000 Canadians who participated in D-Day are still with us. Paul
Martin’s Government has said that sending all 20,000 to Normandy for the 60
th anniversary of their heroism would be impossible, and has, instead,
asked regimental associations to choose representatives for Battle of
Normandy commemorative events. A total of 60 veterans will be flown to
Normandy (fewer than the 72 government support staff on the trip), at an
expected cost of $1.57-million.
Based on a per-person tour price of $3,000, it would cost $60-million to
send all 20,000 veterans. Of course, many are too infirm to travel, or
would have other reasons why they could not attend. The real question,
however, is how many veterans could the government have sent - as a tribute
to their immeasurable sacrifices for this country and our allies - if the
Prime Minister were to curb just his own pre-election campaigning on the
taxpayer’s bill…
· For the price of taking Flat Mark to Toronto, 2 more veterans
could have been sent to the D-Day celebrations (Jan. 20: Ottawa to
Toronto return, 704 km = $ 6,473.56)
· For the price of Paul Martin going to Kings-Hants to tour
with Scott Brison, 5 more veterans could have been sent to the D-Day
celebrations (Jan. 6: Ottawa to Halifax return, 1910 km = $17,563.22)
· For the price of Paul Martin's flight to the Alberta Liberal
convention, 2 more veterans could have been sent (Jan. 16: Regina to
Edmonton, 702 km= $ 6,455.17)
· For the price of Paul Martin's flight to Lethbridge for the
BSE photo-op, 17 more veterans could have been sent (Mar. 22: Ottawa
to Lethbridge return, 5608 km= $51,567.82)
· For the price of Paul Martin's flight to Vancouver to appoint
(and exclude) Liberal candidates, 10 more veterans could have been
sent (April 1: Ottawa to Vancouver, 3549 km= $32,634.48)
· For the price of Paul Martin's flight to the East Coast Music
Awards, 5 more veterans could have been sent (Feb. 15: Ottawa to St.
John’s, 1774 km = $16,312.64)
· For the price of Paul Martin's flight to CFB Gagetown, where
he made the 'Norway/Normandy' gaffe, 2 more veterans could have gone
(April 13: Ottawa to Fredericton, 722 km= $ 6,639.08)
For the cost of Paul Martin's pre-campaign flights so far, at least 160
more veterans could have been sent to the D-Day anniversary celebrations.
For the cost of the Sponsorship Scandal, they all could have gone. Paul
Martin was right when he said today that this will be an election about
“choices”. |
