Canada's copyright czar and the taxpayer-funded limos

By Cory Doctorow at 6:11 am Tuesday, Feb 6

Bev Oda (the Canadian Heritage Minister who funded her election campaign with donations from the industry she was supposed to be regulating) just got outed for spending $5,500 on taxpayer-funded limousines (including a stretch!) at the Juno Awards in Halifax last year. She eventually wrote the Canadian people a cheque for $2,200 of that:

Documents obtained by the Liberals under Access to Information show that Oda and her staff used a private limo company 11 times in four days, ordering several cars each day and paying drivers to stand by for as long as seven hours at a stretch.

The bill, dated April 8, totalled $5,476. Documents show Oda wrote a cheque reimbursing the government for $2,226 on May 19.

"When people started asking questions, the minister’s conscience apparently got the better of her and she cut a cheque for $2,200, but when will the minister cough up another $3,200 to cover the rest of the cost of her Juno joyride?" Liberal MP Michael Savage asked in the House of Commons.

Link (Thanks, King Kong!)

See also:
Canadian Heritage Minister Oda in the pocket of recording execs
Canada's about to have a copyright disaster
Can. Heritage Minister's election was funded by entertainment co's
Canadian copyright czar forced to turn away industry bribes
Hollywood's Canadian Member of Parliament
Canadian copyright minister caught lining pockets