Her trip to Bountiful!

They’re back and not a moment too soon. Your faithful servants at Boondoggle were becoming quite worried that a culture of restraint had enveloped the capital. There was admittedly some trepidation at Boondoggle, as reports of fiscal excess had dried up during the election campaign of 2004.

But with the MP’s safely tucked into their seats on the Hill, the gates are starting to crack open once again. And lo and behold we have ourselves an old favourite kicking off the summer edition of the Boondoggle reporting season.

Out of Ottawa comes word that over at the Official Languages Offices, Department Czarina Dyane Adam, has been on a bit of a European spending binge of late. The language office’s top bureaucrat (salary $216,000 a year) spent over 11 thousand dollars of taxpayer loonies, on a one week trip to Scotland and Ireland to address a gathering at Cork University. The commish was invited to be a guest speaker at the conference. She then took the rest of the week to as they bureaucratically put it, “raise awareness of Canada’s language planning model.” Her European jaunt broke down to $8,733 for airfare, $1,441 for hotel accommodation and $742 for meals. Making up a total amount, which would make for a fair amount of Haggis and Guinness in her travels?

Adam has been a busy traveller at home as well, and when she must leave Ottawa she goes top dollar. She recently flew from Ottawa to Toronto at a cost of $2,479 and somehow found a way to spend $1,643 dollars to travel to Sudbury. The excessive cost of Ms. Adams travel arrangements is explained away as due to the open ended nature of her travel. Due to her “fluctuating schedule” the Commissioner must only take those last minute dashes that can be oh so costly. Ms. Adam became a noteworthy person most recently for her investigation of Don Cherry’s comments while on Hockey Night in Canada. One can only imagine what Mr. Cherry would make of his investigators financial resolve!

Perhaps a more comprehensive day planner could be provided for the Language Commissioner, something to assist her in those time management shortcomings. Short of that, at least have the poor woman book a few days in advance, thus saving the poor beaten down taxpayer a few dollars now and then.

Even better some comparison shopping couldn’t hurt. Boondoggle did a Google search for Greyhound pricing and VIA Rail pricing for trips to Sudbury. Ms. Adams could travel return by the sleek grey bus to the Nickel city for only 172 dollars, and should she need to travel more frequently she could always take advantage of Greyhounds Discovery Pass, a sure fire hit for the Bureaucrat with lots of exploring to do.

Over at Via Rail, things are a bit more complicated, as there is an overnight stop in Toronto before the big 7 hour trip North to Sudbury Junction (sorry you’ll need to cab in into Sudbury proper). It’s truly a bureaucrats dream to travel south to go north, so hey take advantage of the confusion. To soothe those shattered nerves we’ve booked a double bedroom northbound. Total cost $781. A bit pricey, but if you have business in Toronto you can kill two birds with one stone. There will of course be a hotel room needed but we’re sure you can find a respectable hostel close by Union station.

But you had better hurry VIA may be on strike within the next two weeks.

Just a few options for the folks at Official Languages, glad to have you aboard the Boondoggle express! We look forward to future entries in Boondoggle as the season progresses.

The above posting first appeared July 11th, in my Boondoggle blog, for other items about Government in Canada check it out!