So imagine if you receive an estimate for some work you need done.

You agree on a price and then you get the bill, and it costs five times more than the estimate.

That's what happened to Canadian taxpayers. We've been taken for a ride over the costs for the upcoming G-8 and G-20 summits in Ontario.

It is quite unbelievable.

The original estimate $179 million. The latest estimate is almost a billion dollars of your money, plus there is more for food, hospitality and all the extra costs that will come with these two meetings.

These guys don't order-in pizza.

One MP says this will be the most expensive 72 hours in Canadian history.

In fact the security for the entire Vancouver Olympics was about the same price.

It's not like a lot really gets accomplished at these summits, and there is a certain irony here that the leaders will be talking about deficits and keeping government spending under control.

It is scandalous that we are paying so much for so little.

Why can't this club find one permanent location to hold their get-togethers? Maybe that island where Lost was filmed. Not sure they need it anymore or maybe it never really existed.

Or here's an idea. Videoconferencing. Works for me

Abortion debate should not be reopened

It's not exactly headline news that the Roman Catholic Church is opposed to abortion. Many of the world's religions feel the same way, but Canada's top cardinal now says the debate should be reopened in Canada.

No one is in favour of abortion, but a woman's right to choose should be hers. It is rarely an easy decision.

The Cardinal is entitled to his opinion and his beliefs, as you are to yours, but in a society that strives to be secular, no religion, be it Christianity, Islam, Hindu or other, should influence public policy.

We have come have come a long way and this is one national conversation that we simply don't need.

Marois lives in a glass house

Robert Bourassa was fond of saying" les masques sont tombees," --the masks are off --when he was dissecting PQ logic.

Pauline Marois has been tearing a strip off the Liberals lately over fundraising and contributions to the Liberal party, and quite legitimately so.

Now we learn that Marois's kids have been very generous to Mom. In fact the full-time students, with no apparent source of income, contributed the legal limit of $3000 each to Mom's leadership campaign back in 2005.

They must have gotten one heck of an allowance.

Madame… There is an expression about glass houses and throwing stones. Perhaps you should look it up.