Police officers from forces outside the Greater Toronto Area brought in to work at last summer's G8 and G20 summits made millions of dollars through lucrative contracts paying them overtime and vacation rates, according to newly released RCMP documents.
CBC/Radio-Canada has obtained copies of RCMP contracts totalling $7 million for the hiring of 657 officers from 17 different local forces from coast to coast. The invoices detail how over the course of a week or two in June 2010, more than half of all the work performed by those officers was paid for at premium rates of 1½ or two times an officer's usual wages.
Many more such goodies to come, I trust.
Meanwhile, the Star is still waxing indignant about the third attempt at a SIU investigation and is calling for an inquiry into the whole schmozzle.
Only a broad public inquiry, with the power to compel evidence under oath, can cut through the finger-pointing and obfuscation surrounding this fiasco. Its mandate should include looking at why Prime Minister Stephen Harper insisted on holding the G20 in Toronto in the first place. It should examine Premier Dalton McGuinty’s ill-judged decision to grant police enhanced powers of arrest without properly informing the public. And it should look into the policies and conduct of police commanders and their forces.
And while we're on the subject of calling for inquiries, what the hell happened to Saturday's rally that I blogged here?
Sweetie and I turned our butts out and found that DesiFEST had taken over Dundas Square.
We looked around for potential ralliers and saw a clutch of about seven people and a camera-guy. Could have inquired, I suppose, but instead thought 'Fukkit' and left.
Came home to check the info. Yep. Saturday, May 28, 2011, 2 to 5 p.m., Yonge and Dundas Square.
I left a WTF? comment on the Facebook page. Looked again a little while later and it had been deleted.
As they say: EPIC FAIL.
And no explanation or apology anywhere that I can find.
My apologies to DJ! readers who also tried to attend.
On the bright side, DesiFEST looked like fun. Sure smelled good. But sweetie and I had rearranged our lives to attend the protest bunfest and decided to carry on.
3 comments:
Talked to them for a bit. At least they tried and we got to eat some great food at least C'est la vie
That was it? That's sad.
Hit 'post' too soon.
Maybe when the AG's report comes out, people will start to pay attention. Seems all people care about now is money.
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