Those who pay have a say. Everyone has to organize a shindig every now and again. Sometimes it's birthday party, in my case it's a wedding and for Prime Minister Stephen Harper it's the G8/G20 summit. But when did the rules change?
Since getting engaged a few weeks ago, I've already flipped through countless 'how to' guides, read dozens of online articles and yes, even started using a wedding planner workbook. Nearly every single piece of wedding planning text I have encountered recommends allowing those who pay for the party to have a say in the planning.
So if parents foot the bill - scarily enough - they really do have the last say. If giving up planning carte blanche to your parents is too frightening of a thought for you or your soon-to-be, then cough up the dough on your own. It's a simple and appropriate way of deciding control, really.
Imagine sitting dockside a Muskoka Lake in a nice wood chair, on the horizon the sun is setting and canoes are visible on the periphery. I just described part of a $1.9-million exhibit in the Canadian tourism pavilion at the G8/G20 summit.
When the hard earned money of tax payers is used frivolously - like to build a $57,000 10-centimetre-deep pool - Canadians should have a say.
And for the most part, Canadians are speaking out.
Many are wondering why Harper is hosting a gathering focused on economic recovery while spending boatloadser, canoe loads, of money on giant outdoor inspired exhibits?
To other nations, Harper's spending suggests poor decision-making is OK in my books. It's like spending your last $100 on a fistful of helium balloons. They look nice but that's about all they do.
Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff told the House of Commons Harper is falling short of the expectations Canadians set: "Canadians wanted leadership, and all they got was a fake lake."
Harper insists the "fake lake" and the pavilion are part of a bid to attract more tourism to the region.
I guess Harper thinks it's reasonable to spend oodles of cash on a bunch of wood sculptures, some pool-blue water (not the colour of any lake in the Muskokas, by the way) and some pretty pictures.
Last I checked, seeing a huge blown-up photograph with a wading pool in front of it doesn't make me want to visit Ontario's cottage country. Instead, it makes me wonder 'Is this the best you could do?' However, I believe the promise of a traffic-free journey up Highway 400 on a long weekend would certainly encourage visitors.
Not having a Harmonized Sales Tax would also encourage tourisms and investment, but that's just a thought.
Perhaps since it's such a great idea, he wouldn't mind picking up the 15 per cent tax on the installation?
