Sloggin' through the Victoria slush!

Environment Minister, David Anderson is used to dealing with hazardous waste issues. However, Anderson may have a little toxic waste site of his own to clean up. The Victoria area MP finds himself feeling the opposition heat, over a music festival of all things. What's up for debate, are some differing opinions, over a fifty thousand dollar grant to the Victoria Rootsfest music festival of 2001.

Jamie Kelley a participant in the festival says that he talked directly to Anderson about getting a grant for the project. Put in touch with Anderson's constituency office, Kelley says that Anderson's aides told him that there was money available for friends of the party. According to Kelley, Anderson aides said there was no need to fill out any forms, the aides went on to jokingly describe it as it as kind of a slush fund for these types of things.

Kelley went on to write a letter to Public Works of Canada, but never heard from the ministry. Instead, he later learned that the festival was receiving funding from a Montreal Ad Agency. Hmm, strike up the Dragnet theme folks, dum de dum dum. It's that little tid bit that has the opposition parties up in arms, as it turns out that the ad agency is one of those caught up in the current sponsorship scandal. The opposition took time today to recount for those MP's, the words of Prime Minister Paul Martin. For those that may have drifted off during his press conference, he said any MP involved in the sponsorship scandal should immediately resign, or be fired. Needless to say, the opposition parties are demanding that Anderson step down immediately.

For his part Anderson says nothing wrong has taken place, his aides were merely putting a constituent in touch with a government agency, like they would do for anyone in the riding. He's not inclined to resign and the Prime Minister has not made any statements suggesting that he do so. With that, the ball is now back in the opposition's court. Expect them to utilize the services of the Toronto Star Newspaper, Chantal Hebert has constructed a wonderful timeline of how one applies for these government grants. After reading this article, you certainly get the feeling that David Anderson's slush problem, isn't going to melt away in the Victoria rain.