Governments keep writing cheques that sound made up. They’re not.
Of course it’s more. It’s at least $5 million, but it’s almost certainly more because some departments won’t even admit how much money they wasted on subscriptions and licences nobody used. (We filed the access to information requests to get those numbers so stay tuned.)
It’s always good to be an optimist, but, unfortunately the federal government wasted more than $5 million on subscriptions and licences that nobody used.
Bingo! Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada bought 1,000 licenses and used exactly zero. Not a single one.
Good guess, but it was Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The department bought 1,000 licenses and didn’t use a single one.
You nailed it! The Canada Council for the Arts handed out $18,290 for a three-week trip to Costa Rica.
Pack your bags, because it was Costa Rica! Taxpayers covered $18,290 for three weeks of designing a home for insects, rodents and other animals.
You got it! About 90% of federal executives take a bonus every year. Even worse, federal departments can barely meet half of their own targets. They’re rewarding their poor performance with your money.
Aim higher! About 90% of federal executives take a bonus every year. At this point, it’s less of a bonus and more of a tradition.
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