Redford's trip to South Africa cost Alta taxpayers $45,000

[Kjesse]

I'm looking forward to the day Redford is replaced as leader. I think some of her cabinet members are really doing a great job, but she's looking like the weak link. The portfolios looking the worst have her fingerprints all over them.

The $15K to fly to Ottawa is ridiculous. There is no excuse for that. And she flew for free with Harper and still spent 45K?

The mismanagement is strong in this one. I don't think she's directly responsible for wanting to incur the costs but this shows at least that she is not good at managing staff.

[ken0042]

My issue is that she spent 8-10 times what it should have cost her. Looking at last minute direct flights to Ottawa, first class appears to be in the $3200 range each way. So really she could have done this trip for far less; even with it being last minute. Let's even say it's $10,000 instead of $45K- that's still 4.5 times what it should have cost.

What else does the gov't spend money on that they pay 4-5 times the price for? Or things they don't look at the cost for?

[mustache ride]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Right. $45,000 to go to a funeral just so she can avoid all other politicians and not mingle too.

Come on, man.

I don't understand your argument? Did you want her to negotiate a pipeline at the funeral?

[1stLand]

I would have driven her to Ottawa myself for $1,000.
I'd allow bathroom and snack breaks in:
- Medicine Hat
- Moose Jaw
- Brandon
- Thunder Bay
- the soo
- Toronto

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by fotze

Imagine if that plane went down. The whole country would grind to a halt.

CSEC has you in their crosshairs now.

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by fotze

Imagine if that plane went down. The whole country would grind to a halt.

After seeing how Toronto has coped I get the impression that things would continue as normal for some time before anything ground to a halt.

[Fozzie_DeBear]

Originally Posted by 1stLand

It is not so much the $45,000 flight that should be cause for concern.

It is the fact that this type of Tax Payer money being wasted is probably widespread throughout the government and just not being scrutinized by the media or investigated.

Redford strikes me as someone that is a millionaire many times over.
She doesn't care about saving tens of thousands of government monies. Its pocket change to her.

We need a Premier that comes from more humble means.
Someone that values taxpayers money.

Someone that knows how hard it is to earn a living.

I respectfully disagree...we need a politician who can be an inspiring leader and is smart enough to surround themselves with excellent people to create strategic policies that will give Alberta the best chance to remain economically vibrant now and in the future when/if the dynamics of the resource sector aren't tilted in our favour.

I personally don't agree that the most important skill of our provincial leaders should be coupon cutting

[end ######baggy rant]

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by mustache ride

I don't understand your argument? Did you want her to negotiate a pipeline at the funeral?

Two problems. One, Redford and her office overspent on a trip like this.

Two, to suggest Redford went down without some business talk on her agenda is somewhat short-sighted. Pretty sure if there was a chance to push the Alberta agenda, this would be the gathering to get some traction at.

[GP_Matt]

The expense is also a horrible example to set.
Employees take their expense queues from their boss. If the boss is frugal those who report to them usually are as well. When the boss justifies huge expenses it is easy for the rest to do the same.

[mustache ride]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Two, to suggest Redford went down without some business talk on her agenda is somewhat short-sighted. Pretty sure if there was a chance to push the Alberta agenda, this would be the gathering to get some traction at.

Ya, no thanks. There is a time to conduct business, this wasn't one of them.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by mustache ride

Ya, no thanks. There is a time to conduct business, this wasn't one of them.

Alright

[Brannigans Law]

I know that, at least for me personally, I find funerals are a great place to do 2 things

1- conduct business
2- pick up chicks

pictured below is allison redfords high profile lawyer who just scored a huge client for alberta at the funeral:

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Fozzie_DeBear

I respectfully disagree...we need a politician who can be an inspiring leader and is smart enough to surround themselves with excellent people to create strategic policies that will give Alberta the best chance to remain economically vibrant now and in the future when/if the dynamics of the resource sector aren't tilted in our favour.

Yes, we do need that. Maybe next election.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by mustache ride

Ya, no thanks. There is a time to conduct business, this wasn't one of them.

Don't kid yourself. Politicians are always politicking.

The issue here is the grossly inflated cost of the trip. Although the NS premier's frugalness makes her look far worse than she would have ordinarily.

[Fozzie_DeBear]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Yes, we do need that. Maybe next election.

Unfortunately...the best option may be voting for the less incompetent group

[Senator Clay Davis]

I want the Nova Scotia premier's travel agent. I can't fly to most of Europe for less than $1,000.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I want the Nova Scotia premier's travel agent. I can't fly to most of Europe for less than $1,000.

His expenses were for a flight from Ottawa to Halifax and 1 night hotel in Ottawa. Federal government paid for everything else.

[CaptainCrunch]

The problem for Redford is she's too stupid or too arrogant to curtail things while the cross hairs are completely on her. She continues to fumble over her own two feet while secretly her party applauds it in the hopes that the pressure will get to be too much and she'll step down.

On top of that when she got there she wasn't on the funeral guest list and had to basically sneak in, Canada didn't really need to fly premieres down to South Africa.

at the end of the day, I have my doubts that she or her party are going to win the next election, they haven't done a good enough job at anything to be able to sneak in with the Wildrose are this generations Nazi party (godwin yo) stuff that worked last time.

[killer_carlson]

I don't have a problem that Redford went. I support that.

What I can't believe is that no one in her office booked planes and contingencies immediately upon Harper's offer. I also cannot understand why she had to fly commercial back, when Harper's plane was landing literally hours later.

It is sloppy and lacks attention to detail. For a group that is extremely well compensated, this should never have happened.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by fotze

I personally think she was there for the experience. Attending Nelson Mandela's funeral is a pretty big feather in the cap of life. You put that on your resume.

Except that Harper theoretically had to open a fire exit in the Stadium for Redford and the other premieres to get in. Like my parents used to kick open the fire escape at the theatre so us kids could sneak into movie night.

When Redford and the other Premiere's got to the funeral they were told that there weren't any seats reserved for them at the service.