Politicians are the same no matter where you go

[jimpeel]

A tale of two countries ... and their politicians.

CANADA

SOURCE

Government trips continue despite recession
By Elizabeth Thompson, National Bureau, Sun Media

OTTAWA — Canadians may be staying closer to home this summer as the recession takes its toll, but that’s not stopping many of Canada’s parliamentarians from travelling the world at taxpayers’ expense.

London, Paris, Bordeaux, Lithuania, Thailand, Guyana and Namibia are just a few of the places MPs and Senators are headed to this summer as part of a variety of interparliamentary delegations. Once there, they will discuss everything from climate change and human rights to trade and the world financial crisis.

Parliamentarians say the trips, which cost Canadians more than $2 million a year, are important parts of their jobs, allowing them to voice Canada’s views in international policy debates and learn from other politicians.

But critics, like Kevin Gaudet of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, say the trips are thinly disguised junkets that should be scrapped — particularly at a time when the federal government is racking up a deficit.

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THE UNITED STATES

SOURCE

INSIDE WASHINGTON: Congress has perks of its own

Friday, February 06, 2009
By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — When corporate titans indulged in perks like private jets and luxury junkets, members of Congress were quick to criticize. But that hasn't stopped lawmakers from heading for party retreats at resorts where they spend tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars and mingle with lobbyists.

"We're very mindful" of perceptions, House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson told reporters Thursday camped outside of the sprawling Kingsmill Resort & Spa in Williamsburg, Va., where House Democrats were on their annual three-day retreat, an event which has in the past cost in the neighborhood of $100,000. "It's serious and it's from morning till night. We've been dwelling, rightfully, on the economy," said Larson, D-Conn.

Republicans and Democrats in the House have passed new rules governing such trips even as lawmakers say the events are useful for negotiating public policy. But with a nation tightening its belt and already fatigued by stories of corporate excess, perceptions matter these days in Washington. Congress risks shattering its glass house throwing stones.

"If it's a luxurious setting or if there's particularly high-level entertainment, then they are running into the same problem," said Meredith McGehee of the Campaign Legal Center, a government ethics watchdog group. "They don't get that these are tough economic times, that Americans are struggling and they need to do their part."

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