The North American auto industry is at a standstill.
Jobs are being lost by the month.
And taxpayer money is being used to bail out General Motors and Chrysler.
At the same time, Ontario Lottery and Gaming is doing its part to promote the pleasure of owning a new car - or are they? They're giving away 22 brand new automobiles as part of an ongoing contest at the province's casinos.
And that has some politicians up in arms. The reason? They're all expensive Mercedes Benz models and not one of them is Canadian made.
That raised the ire of the opposition at Queen's Park on Tuesday, who demanded to know why a government entity wouldn't have tried to buy vehicles made in Ontario.
Infrastructure Minister George Smitherman agrees it was an oversight that should never have happened. "I made it clear that on this point, a huge lapse in judgment was made, and I expect them to improve their performance going forward."
But he notes the prizes are part of a deal that can't be reversed now.
"The arrangement is made, they are contractually obligated and I can't cancel that. All I can say is that we should anticipate that that organization, as it looks to its marketing and procurement strategies, is going to be a heck of a lot more focused on the sheer necessity of making the biggest possible impact it can economically here in our province."
In a statement released on Tuesday, the OLG said it regrets the decision and that the promotion is under review.
Photo credit: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images