Tories prune vacant patronage plums, claim savings of money not spent

Gene Swimmer, of the School of Public Policy and Administration, comments on cutting vacant patronage positions

Byline: Bruce Cheadle,
Publication: Winnipeg Free Press
Date: Monday March 8th, 2010
Source: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/tories-prune-vacant-patronage-plums-claim-savings-ofmoney-
not-spent-86981147.html

Excerpt: Gene Swimmer, an expert on the civil service who teaches at Carleton University’s school of public administration, said
he expects many of the jobs will not be missed and the exercise may be useful.
But he was unimpressed with Day’s claimed budgetary savings.
“Let’s take him at his word that it was worth, say, a million dollars – $900,000 of which wasn’t money that was actually
spent! It was just money that could have been spent,” said Swimmer.
“If (those appointments) are vacant now, you would assume they wouldn’t be part of this year’s government expenditures.”