Final penny photo-op with Jim Flaherty cost $56,000
The
federal government decided to get rid of the penny because it was costing 1.6
cents to make.
But now we're learning that final penny cost $56,000 to make,
some of it paid for by taxpayers.
That's
because Finance Minister Jim Flaherty stamped it himself at the Royal Canadian
Mint in Winnipeg and also held a press conference and photo op for the occasion
on May 4.
Postmedia
News obtained the documents about the event through access to
information. Flaherty and his director of communications spent just over $6,000
on their trip to Winnipeg, but the majority of the event was paid for by the
Mint.
Dropping the pennyThe government has decided to
phase the penny out of existence starting this fall, CBC's Havard Gould reportThe
Mint spent $50,000, although spokesperson Christine Aquino said taxpayers
didn't spend a penny on this because the Mint is a federal for-profit Crown
Corporation and generates its own profits by producing coins. They make money
literally and they also generate a profit by producing coins for more than a
dozen countries and making collector coins.
"People
are hoarding these pennies in their jars at home and now we're encouraging
people to give the pennies to charities and that'll be good for the Canadian
economy and our communities as well," Flaherty told
CBC after the May 4 photo op. He said the penny has simply
become a nuisance to people and businesses and doesn't expect consumers will
lose out due to rounding.
The
government says killing the penny will save taxpayers $11 million a year. The
final penny that Flaherty stamped isn't in circulation, but sits at the
Currency Museum of the Bank of Canada in Ottawa.
Mr. Flaherty was elected to serve the Canadian public. He could have chosen either to walk across the street to the Ottawa-based mint for his 15 seconds of ill-got fate or to declare the whole exercise silly and not worth the penny saved.
Because he did neither, and chose instead to spend $58,000 of our money, he does not deserve another moment of our attention.
Because voters are relentlessly stupid, he will be elected again.
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