05 June 2007

Apropos of a diversion

When a government delegation travels abroad, it will surely spend money.

But when an opposition party raises a question on travel spending, it should do some homework to get the goods.

Like say in the 1980s.

Collecting information requests on travel and discovering cabinet ministers billing visits to German strip clubs.

The recent kerfuffle about the ground transportation costs for a provincial government excursion to Ireland wound up falling flat as the government simply released the invoice covering the van and the limos.

What appeared to be $24,000 turns out to be about $10,000. The amount may seem large but under the circumstances it isn't really excessive.

Still, the whole thing seems to warrant a limerick: a silly rendition of the issue that occupied so much of the Premier's attention and that of the opposition at a time when other matters should have been foremost on their minds.

So, for the nonsense of taxi rentals when the hydro bill and the energy bill quietly slip through the House, here's a little nonsense rhyme:

While on a wee trip to the Isle
to develop the Irish biz file,
they couldn't ride burros
so for five thousand Euros
the Taoiseach and his pals rode in style.

-srbp-