[RoyalHighlander]

MONTREAL (CP) - The Canadian government secured a surprise win Friday, beating out such luminaries as Iran, North Korea and the United States, for the dumbest government of the year at the World Stupidity Awards.

It also bested the United Nations in a hotly contested category that organizers said proved Canadians can compete with the rest of the world.

"Canadians often feel we're in the shadow of the U.S., especially when it comes to stupidity, but now we're proving we're world class," said Robert Spence, spokesman of the awards handed out during he Just for Laughs comedy festival.

"And as host country, who could ask for more?"

The Gomery inquiry into the sponsorship scandal secured the award for Canada, said Spence.

Dubbed the "Oscars of Idiocy," host Lewis Black of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart led a team of comics and celebrities who handed out awards recognizing achievement in ignorance and stupidity.

"I was dumbfounded," Spence said in a statement. "To see so much stupidity in one room, I almost lost my mind. In fact, I did..."

U.S. President George W. Bush may not have led the dumbest government, but he was honoured with the award for the Stupidest Statement of the Year after telling a news conference: "They never stop thinking of ways of harming America, and neither do we."

Accepting the award for Bush was Darth Vader.

Hotel heiress Paris Hilton won in two categories. She was named Stupidist Woman of the Year and was star of The Simple Life, which was named Stupidest Show of the Year.

Conservative columnist Ann Coulter won the award as Stupidest Man of the Year. She beat out Bush, U.S. Senator John Kerry, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Players Association director Bob Goodenow, and former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma.

Other winners included:

-Ashlee Simpson's lip-synching performance on Saturday Night Live for Dumbest Moment of the Year;

-Alien vs. Predator for Stupidest Movie of the Year;

-Crystal meth for Stupidest Trend of the Year;

-North Korean dictator Kim Jong for Stupidity Award for Reckless Endangerment of the Planet;

-Fox News for Media Outlet Which Has Best Furthered Ignorance;

-The World Stupidity Awards for Stupidest Award Show of the Year.

The World Stupidity Awards were decided by worldwide Internet voters.

The third annual awards were overseen by the Academy Recognizing Stupidity Everywhere (ARSE), which are "basically a bunch of morons," said Spence.

[Magnum]

There should be an award show for "stupidest award shows."

Although this one may have some merit!!

Good find RH

[The Hoser]

At least Bush is still clutching onto the stupidist World Leader award.

[Giselle]

YEAH! CAN-A-DUH!!

[WLDB]

At least we didnt win the dumbest population award.

[Patrick_Ross]

But if we did, it would be because of all the beer, eh?

[UncannyNoah]

maybe the beer is why we didnt win it

[harzer_knaller]

I think it's awesome that Ann Coulter won the Award for the Stupidest Man of the Year...

Did she has had her outcoming as a gay man? I think I missed that in the news... *lol*

[BartSimpson]

WLDB WLDB:

At least we didnt win the dumbest population award.

Only because I'm in BC right now and that tilted the balance in Canada's favour. Your welcome, by the way!