Yeah, “Support the Troops!” is Stevie Spiteful’s delayed defense of Petey MacKay’s jet setting with government jets these days– to the tune of $3 million. So, boys ‘n’ girls, shame on you if you’re questioning Petey MacKay’s (and I guess this would also go for questioning ol’ Walt Natynczyk’s Caribbean vacation as well) use of government aircraft for his own personal recreational jet setting, it’s because you don’t support the troops! Shame on you!
Don’t believe me? Here it is!
Mr. Harper, however, said all Mr. MacKay’s flights were legitimate. “When he has used them, they’ve been for important government business,” the Prime Minister told the Commons.
He invoked fallen soldiers in defending his minister, saying half of Mr. MacKay’s flights were to attend repatriation ceremonies where the remains of dead troopers were returned to Canada.
“Half of those flights are for repatriation ceremonies so that he can meet the families of those who have lost their loved ones in the service of this country. He goes there to show that we understand their sacrifice, we share their pain and we care about them,” the Prime Minister said.
“That is why the Minister of Defence is so highly regarded.”
Highly regarded, my ass! By whom? Don Cherry when ol’ Petey allowed him to drop a bomb on an Afghan village last Christmas? But I digress.
Anyway, Stevie is telling a fib, as usual; either that, or he has proven mathematically challenged, yet again, or both. Here are the actual total figures Petey used government aircraft and how many times he actually used them for repatriation ceremonies:
Records show, however, that there were 35 flights where Mr. MacKay’s office requested the Challenger jets. These are flights where Mr. MacKay is listed as the main passenger – “VIP” or “user requesting” the planes. Of these, only nine were to attend repatriation ceremonies.
Oops! You sure you want to stick with that story, Stevie? Here’s more that just don’t quite add up:
The Harper defence of Mr. MacKay is comparing apples and oranges, however. It measures a much bigger pool of flights, including those where the Nova Scotia minister was merely a passenger on jets ordered not by his office but by others, including the military.
If these ride-along flights counted as being ordered up at the behest of Mr. MacKay, than his total mileage and costs for the last four years would be much higher than 247 hours and $2.9-million.
Uh oh! Me thinks somebody has some ‘splainin’ to do! But asking for such explanations would be tantamount to treason, because, well, “support the troops!” and all.