Things can get tricky when politicians weigh in with references pop cultural - master speechwriter Scott Feschuk watched former prime minister Paul Martin mangle many a timely pithy aside.
On Tuesday, Energy Minister Donna Cansfield mistakenly told the Legislature that Paul Rhodes, an adviser to former Progressive Conservative premiers Mike Harris and Ernie Eves, had "received $1 billion" for work done in the electricity sector.
"Oh, you think it’s great that we paid him $1 billion - $1 million, sorry," sputtered Cansfield after Conservative MPPs starting hooting and hollering at her misstatement.
Trying to be clever, PC Leader John Tory shot back: "The minister is like Dr. No over there, with a million/billion dollars, but it’s not funny."
Er, actually, that should have been Dr. Evil. Dr. No was Ian Fleming’s master villain in the James Bond novel and film of the same name.
Dr. Evil, of course, is Austin Powers’ nemesis in the spy spoofs by Scarborough native Mike Myers. His catchphrase, pinky in mouth, is "one miiiiiiillion dollars."
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