• CTF says Chretien's legacy will be one of 19th century pork-barrel politics
  
• Chretien warned by CTF in August of potential for billions to be put at risk

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today expressed disappointment with Jean Chretien's decision to allow members of his Cabinet to begin campaigning for the Liberal leadership. After the weekly Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister confirmed that Ministers can begin their campaigns to succeed him. A new Liberal leader will be chosen in November 2003.

Chretien's legacy one of pork-barrel politics -
"Despite Mr. Chretien's assurances that he has told Cabinet Ministers to do their jobs first, this decision will perpetuate the pork-barrel politics that disgusts Canadians," said CTF federal director Walter Robinson. "Instead of forcing Ministers to resign their posts, taxpayers will now be treated to a full-year of abuse of government jets, political ribbon cutting in the extreme, bogus consultation exercises and deployment of public resources for private partisan purposes."

"Without a doubt this will be the most expensive leadership campaign in Canadian political history. Ambition and the pursuit of power will quickly result in every government announcement being hijacked for partisan purposes," added Robinson. "The abuses by the Saskatchewan NDP in 1999/2000 and the Ontario PCs in the Spring of 2001 - both governing parties that held leadership contests - will merely amount to stolen paperclips from the office once compared to the abuses that will occur in the forthcoming federal Liberal contest."

Prime Minister was warned in August -
"We wrote the Prime Minister on August 27th urging him to raise the ethical bar and set a new benchmark for Canadian politics by forcing leadership Ministers to resign. In response, we received the usual form letter about 'appropriate consideration', blah, blah, blah," stated Robinson. "Once again, the Prime Minister has put his party ahead of governing but it and taxpayers will pay the price."

Citizens and taxpayers will be shortchanged -
"Running for the leadership of a political party is a full-time pursuit. But so is serving as Minister of the Crown and as Member of Parliament. We've heard of multitasking, but this is ridiculous," concluded Robinson. "At the end of the day, someone will win the Liberal leadership, sadly it is taxpayers who will lose - big time."