Reporter David Akin has kept track of the Federal Conservatives' 3,229 spending announcements since October 2008. His neat summary of this $75 billion of spending is insightful. Of note, 966 announcements, almost 1/3 of the total, were made in Quebec, with a total dollar value of $13.3 billion.
Who are the kings and queens of spending? By announcements, economic development agencies churn out the most releases, only proving that corporate welfare is a vote-buying exercise and not the nation's pressing need. The list of big spenders is a different set of names, though Diane Finley appears in most lists.
| Minister | Ministry | Announcements |
| Denis Lebel | Regional economic development agency of Quebec | 648 |
| Diane Finley | Human resources | 604 |
| Lynn Yelich | Regional economic development for the West | 414 |
| Keith Ashfield | Atlantic Canada's economic development agency | 344 |
| James Moore | Heritage | 340 |
| Minister | Ministry | Spending announced |
| Diane Finley | Human resources | $22 billion |
| John Baird | Infrastructure | $15.4 billion |
| Tony Clement | Industry | $10.6 billion |
| Peter MacKay | Defence | $8.3 billion |
| Christian Paradis | Public works (since replaced) | $3.1 billion |
Is Canada Off Track?
Canada has problems. You see them at gas station. You see them at the grocery store. You see them on your taxes.
Is anyone listening to you to find out where you think Canada’s off track and what you think we could do to make things better?
You can tell us what you think by filling out the survey