13 numbers showing Harper’s Conservatives may truly be the worst Canadian government ever

Parliament is set to break for the summer this week before gearing up for the election in October.

And what better way to kick off a summer vacation than by breaking down the saddest, most sigh-inducing numbers that the 41st Parliament produced in 2015:

1.8 Billion

Dollar amount taken from Employment Insurance fund by Finance Minister Joe Oliver to, ahem, “balance” the 2015 budget.

7

Number of years the supposedly ‘fiscally responsible’ Conservatives took before actually balancing a budget.

274,822

Number of Canadians who have petitioned the government to kill Bill C-51.

Although that number doesn’t include 4 former Conservative and Liberal Prime Ministers, an organization representing 36,000 lawyers, 100 law professors, 60 Canadian business leaders and 12 provincial and territorial Privacy Commissioners (that’s all of them … except for New Brunswick) who’ve all warned C-51 is an exceptionally bad piece of legislation.

412

Number of statements made by Conservative MPs in the House of Commons containing the word “terrorist”  — working out to an average of just under 6 mentions per day in the House.

147

Number of Conservative MPs who voted against bringing back the long-form census.

68

Percentage of sitting days that Stephen Harper was absent from the House of Commons, the most of any party leader.

40

Number of MPs in Stephen Harper’s cabinet, tied for the largest in Canadian history. So much for that “small government”.

34* (*UPDATE! 35)

Number of Conservative MPs who have either resigned or said they won’t seek re-election in October, including former Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird,  Heritage Minister Shelly Glover, International Development Minister Christian Paradis, and of course… Justice Minister Peter MacKay.

*UPDATE: Industry Minister James Moore has now decided to bow out too.

30

Number of Senators whose expenses will be reviewed by the RCMP.

100

Milestone number of times the Conservatives have shut down debate since the 2011 election. And Conservative House Leader Peter Van Loan has said “not more than one further sitting day shall be allotted” 14 times since the start of 2015 alone. 

For comparison, between 1971 and 2000, time allotment was invoked 150 times.

5

Number of days Conservative MP Laurie Hawn managed to live on $1.75 a day before binging on steak, prawns and red wine.

Midnight after Day 5 #belowtheline – that’s more like it. Steak, prawns and wine. @LBLCA pic.twitter.com/EaPkSCdJGj

— Laurie Hawn (@MPLaurieHawn) May 2, 2015

0

Number of the 94 recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada that Stephen Harper has agreed to implement.

1

Number of Aboriginal Affairs Ministers who chose to remain seated during an emotional standing ovation after Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, called for a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women:

^{Photo: Prime Ministers Office.}