• CTF blasts federal Cabinet Ministers for expensive tastes on taxpayers dime
  
• Public Works Minister must pull offensive tender immediately
  
• Meals fiasco latest serving in buffet of Challenger Jet arrogance

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has reacted to news reports that the tender call for meals to be served on Canada's VIP Challenger jets reads like a culinary orgy of fine dining. According to media reports the federal government recently posted specifications for catering meals on its VIP jet fleet that include crab, fresh red snapper, striploin steak, scallops and shrimp, gourmet cheeses, shellfish and an unspecified selection of alcoholic beverages. These meals will be served on fine china, eaten with silver flatware and washed down with nothing but the best wines in crystal wine goblets.

Menu choices symbolic of institutional arrogance and disconnect with Canadians
" While regular Canadians wolf down their sandwiches on box juices on WestJet and Tango flights, federal Cabinet Ministers will be pampered with the world's best in gastronomical delights and they won't even have to leave a tip," said CTF federal director Walter Robinson. "This type of excess on the taxpayers' dime reveals the institutional arrogance and rot that is now epidemic at the federal Cabinet table."

Tender should be pulled
" The Prime Minister should instruct Public Works Minister Ralph Goodale to pull this tender immediately," added Robinson. "This issue is one of symbolism for taxpayers, is this a government that upholds the public trust by protecting taxpayer dollars or abuses it by squandering our hard-earned tax dollars "

Challenger Jets and portly politicians
" Just under a year ago, the PM defied the advice of Defence department brass and violated Treasury Board guidelines in purchasing two new Challenger jets - for $101.5 million - on the last day of the fiscal year even though there was no operational requirement for new aircraft," stated Robinson. "No wonder some federal politicians are complaining about their expanding waistlines, fine dining at 35,000 feet will do it to you every time."

"You can rest assured that our federal high flyers won't be cutting their filet mignon with plastic knives from the barbeque supplies cupboard. This is just another example of one set of rules for those who govern and another set for the governed," concluded Robinson.