Quebec separatist gets dubious 'honor'

The former leader of Quebec's federal separatist political party was given a satirical award Wednesday for what he's still costing Canadian taxpayers. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation hosted its 14th annual Teddy Awards in Ottawa, in which individuals and government groups are roasted for their use of taxpayers' money, the AMI Agency reported. The group awarded its "lifetime achievement award" to Gilles Duceppe, the former leader of the separatist Bloc Quebecois in Parliament. Although he and his party were all but voted out last May, as a former member of Parliament and party leader, Duceppe automatically gets a pension, CTF spokesman Greg Thomas told reporters. "Mr. Duceppe lost his seat in Parliament, but he's still collecting $140,765 every year for life from Canadian taxpayers, the gift of a grateful nation for a lifetime of devoted service to trying to break it up," Thomas said. The Agriculture Canada agency received the group's federal Teddy for deciding to woo farmers away from growing tobacco with $284 million. There are now twice as many tobacco farmers than there were when the program began, Postmedia News reported.