The Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s 25th annual Teddy Waste Awards gives a nod to what it considers some of the worst waste in all levels of government. Federally, Governor General Mary Simon receives the top award for her over $99,000 tab from airplane food during a week-long trip to the Middle East.
The Canada Revenue Agency wins the Lifetime Achievement Award for some of its unnecessary hand-outs of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit during the pandemic. CTF’s Prairie Director, Gage Haubrich, says over 1500 people in jail received CERB, along with about 700 people who didn’t live in Canada and 391people who had passed away.

Saskatchewan has a few nominees on the list. Haubrich points to Finance Minister Donna Harpauer, who flew to North Battleford to give a speech last year after presenting the budget in the Legislature, with the charter flight costing $8,000. As well, the City of Saskatoon was nominated for spending almost $100,000 on decorative lights in a downtown back alley. The goal of the project was to invite people to visit spaces that are less travelled, discovering a side of the city that they might never have seen before. Haubrick says instead of being used as a unique spot to propose, back alleys are more likely to be where you go to hold someone’s hair if they are feeling queasy.

The Teddy, a pig-shaped trophy the CTF annually awards to governments’ worst waste offenders, is named after Ted Weatherill, a former federal appointee who was fired in 1999 for submitting a raft of dubious expense claims, including a $700 lunch for two.

Click here for the complete list:  Teddy Awards