Monday, April 11, 2011
Auditor-General of Canada refuses to release leaked report into G8 spending
.
Read about it HERE.
Sheila Fraser has never before given the Canadian people any reason to doubt her integrity. But right now, she says she cannot reveal certain allegations of parliamentary illegality in the matter of $50 million spent during the early days of G8 meetings. That's what a very unhappy Sheila Fraser said today: she can't just up and tell us. There's protocol. Rules.
And the protocol is that the Auditor-General by tradition must present her findings to parliament. They, in turn, are supposed to tell the people. Ha ha. But there is no parliament right now. So how does she comply -- without giving egregious insult to every Canadian voter?
The public interest must somehow be served better than to have the Canadian people sit and wait, bags over our heads, seeing nothing, knowing nothing until the May 2nd federal election is over.
This is a case of a possibly-illegal maneuver in Parliament. The reason we're having a federal election is because "The Harper Government" has already been formally charged with Contempt of Parliament.
Surely Sheila Fraser's conscience will tell her that nobody -- not even the Auditor-General -- should be entitled to keep the voting public isolated from the facts of such a serious matter.
So, does that mean that the Auditor-General should seize the initiative herself and tell all, immediately, before the May 2 election? before the leaders' TV debate on April 12?
I say YES.
Or ... should the AG hold firm and wait until a new government and a new session of parliament enables the tabling of her findings which have been thoroughly vetted .. i.e., after a new government is elected and they call for a new session of parliament?
My opinion is that questions of illegality and Contempt of Parliament are so important, they must not be trivialized. What kind of message does that send, both at home and around the world?!
I believe that means must be found by which the Auditor-General may open the vetted findings to the public before voting day ... in fact, before the Leaders' debate on April 12 if the debate is to be meaningful.
This isn't rocket science. It's about talking to the people. Who could oppose that? It scares me when Canadians start behaving like an oppressed people and feel that they have no rights left. How in God's name are we not entitled to know if a prime minister is making bald-faced and improper use of our Parliament?
Share your thoughts ...
What's next?
Sheila Fraser [photo]
OTTAWA - The Speaker of the House of Commons has made several historic rulings in this latest spate of minority parliaments, but Peter Milliken could be called out of the woodwork to set an “unorthodox” precedent once more, a parliamentary expert says. Should the four federal parties agree, they could conceivably request that Mr. Milliken ask the Auditor General to circumvent parliamentary tradition and release the final version of her leaked G8/G20 draft report - even though the act governing her office requires that reports be tabled to a sitting House of Commons. (National Post)
MORE: AG to probe leak of G8 spending report
Public statement from Sheila Fraser AG Spring 2011 report topics (now on hold until after the election)
PREVIOUS: AG urges 'caution' AG slams G8 projects List of projects approved for G8 funding
Read about it HERE.
Sheila Fraser has never before given the Canadian people any reason to doubt her integrity. But right now, she says she cannot reveal certain allegations of parliamentary illegality in the matter of $50 million spent during the early days of G8 meetings. That's what a very unhappy Sheila Fraser said today: she can't just up and tell us. There's protocol. Rules.
And the protocol is that the Auditor-General by tradition must present her findings to parliament. They, in turn, are supposed to tell the people. Ha ha. But there is no parliament right now. So how does she comply -- without giving egregious insult to every Canadian voter?
The public interest must somehow be served better than to have the Canadian people sit and wait, bags over our heads, seeing nothing, knowing nothing until the May 2nd federal election is over.
This is a case of a possibly-illegal maneuver in Parliament. The reason we're having a federal election is because "The Harper Government" has already been formally charged with Contempt of Parliament.
Surely Sheila Fraser's conscience will tell her that nobody -- not even the Auditor-General -- should be entitled to keep the voting public isolated from the facts of such a serious matter.
So, does that mean that the Auditor-General should seize the initiative herself and tell all, immediately, before the May 2 election? before the leaders' TV debate on April 12?
I say YES.
Or ... should the AG hold firm and wait until a new government and a new session of parliament enables the tabling of her findings which have been thoroughly vetted .. i.e., after a new government is elected and they call for a new session of parliament?
My opinion is that questions of illegality and Contempt of Parliament are so important, they must not be trivialized. What kind of message does that send, both at home and around the world?!
I believe that means must be found by which the Auditor-General may open the vetted findings to the public before voting day ... in fact, before the Leaders' debate on April 12 if the debate is to be meaningful.
This isn't rocket science. It's about talking to the people. Who could oppose that? It scares me when Canadians start behaving like an oppressed people and feel that they have no rights left. How in God's name are we not entitled to know if a prime minister is making bald-faced and improper use of our Parliament?
Share your thoughts ...
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Prime Time Crime has a scoop HERE:What's next?
Sheila Fraser [photo]
OTTAWA - The Speaker of the House of Commons has made several historic rulings in this latest spate of minority parliaments, but Peter Milliken could be called out of the woodwork to set an “unorthodox” precedent once more, a parliamentary expert says. Should the four federal parties agree, they could conceivably request that Mr. Milliken ask the Auditor General to circumvent parliamentary tradition and release the final version of her leaked G8/G20 draft report - even though the act governing her office requires that reports be tabled to a sitting House of Commons. (National Post)
MORE: AG to probe leak of G8 spending report
Public statement from Sheila Fraser AG Spring 2011 report topics (now on hold until after the election)
PREVIOUS: AG urges 'caution' AG slams G8 projects List of projects approved for G8 funding
Fraser's last day in office is May 31, 2011
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Comments:
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I say she should be reporting the findings. This report, and herself, are paid for by "all" taxpayers in this country, not just those in Ottawa. We have a right to know where are tax dollars are spent, or wasted.
With what is going n in this country, every Canadian should demand that this report is released, good or bad. It is not her problem or fault that Mr. Harper decided to shut down parliament at this time.
Curt
With what is going n in this country, every Canadian should demand that this report is released, good or bad. It is not her problem or fault that Mr. Harper decided to shut down parliament at this time.
Curt
# posted by 
: April 11, 2011 at 5:24 p.m.
: April 11, 2011 at 5:24 p.m.
Baird held a press conference and note that the leaked Auditor General report was an early draft, and that the words "Parliament was misled" will not appear in future drafts.
Off-camera, Baird noted the next draft was being worked on at this moment by Bev Oda.
Off-camera, Baird noted the next draft was being worked on at this moment by Bev Oda.
CBC Newsworld this evening described the issue as a Harper Government's $80million proposal for improved border crossings ... which was approved ... but then $50 million was removed from this proposal and given to the strange mix of gazebos, public toilets, etc., which were built in Tony Clement's riding at Parry Sound - Muskoka -- nowhere near where the G8 nations were meeting.
Not only that ... there was a fake letter set up to look as if Sheila had approved of the Harper Govt's actions, except -- get this -- the letter was 12 months old and referred to another issue altogether. Lies. All lies. Deliberate, handcrafted, self-serving lies.
And I say this puts the official big black hex on The Harper Government. They're down in the swamps with the Gordon Campbell government now.
But thank heaven, we're in the middle of an election campaign ... and we can vote them right off the continent. Scoundrels.
.
Not only that ... there was a fake letter set up to look as if Sheila had approved of the Harper Govt's actions, except -- get this -- the letter was 12 months old and referred to another issue altogether. Lies. All lies. Deliberate, handcrafted, self-serving lies.
And I say this puts the official big black hex on The Harper Government. They're down in the swamps with the Gordon Campbell government now.
But thank heaven, we're in the middle of an election campaign ... and we can vote them right off the continent. Scoundrels.
.
I'm just so infuriated that voters in Western Canada don't seem to want to get it that this government can not be trusted, cannot balance the budget, and will do almost anything (apparently) to stay in power. They have, in fact, been ruled in contempt of Parliament. What more can be said. The Cons shouldn't even be running. What gives with Western Canada voters? Are they just naturally stupid or just slow to get it?
After Christy Crunch, her advisors, and the sandals that surround the Liberals. I shouldn't be shocked. While middle-eastern countries are fighting for democracy, Western Canadians are pissing on the flag.
We need a new political system. I'm sick of worrying that the Cons are going to gain power by fooling maybe 40% of the less than 60% of eligible voters. Let's have a coalition government. Compromises are better than lies and contempt.
After Christy Crunch, her advisors, and the sandals that surround the Liberals. I shouldn't be shocked. While middle-eastern countries are fighting for democracy, Western Canadians are pissing on the flag.
We need a new political system. I'm sick of worrying that the Cons are going to gain power by fooling maybe 40% of the less than 60% of eligible voters. Let's have a coalition government. Compromises are better than lies and contempt.
# posted by : April 11, 2011 at 11:11 p.m.
: April 11, 2011 at 11:11 p.m.
Outsourced,
What's with you? You think "Western Canada" voters all think alike? Fat lot you know.
For heaven sake, British Columbians understand the crooked style all too well. Haven't you heard of Gordon Campbell? Apparently not.
Plus, Dude, how clever are YOU, to think that you'll inspire people by calling them "naturally stupid" etc.?? You, who think the BC Liberals are surrounded by "sandals".
One swift kick in the apples to you from BC Mary.
What's with you? You think "Western Canada" voters all think alike? Fat lot you know.
For heaven sake, British Columbians understand the crooked style all too well. Haven't you heard of Gordon Campbell? Apparently not.
Plus, Dude, how clever are YOU, to think that you'll inspire people by calling them "naturally stupid" etc.?? You, who think the BC Liberals are surrounded by "sandals".
One swift kick in the apples to you from BC Mary.
Mary, not to be nit picky:
"get this -- the letter was 12 months old and referred to another issue altogether. Lies. All lies. Deliberate, handcrafted, self-serving lies."
Mary, the AG report alluded to, and implied to be about the handling of G8-20 funds, was more like 12 years old (well almost a decade), as it was referring to the monies spent on security procedures etc. shortly after 9/11/2001, money I might add spent by the previous Liberal Government. For details see update to the second part of the most recent post at the House of Infamy (is it Drugs or.....Stunning Stupidity.
It is VERY unusual for not one but two drafts of an Auditor General's report to be leaked in advance and this makes me nervous. I worry that the HarperCons have done the leaking themselves to change the subject, and have an ODArized draft of the document to let them win the debate and innoculate them against the trust, ethics and comtempt of Parliament issue once and for all, while ignoring useless jets, useless jails and Bruce Carson and.............everything else.
"
Outsourced
What's with you? You think "Western Canada" voters all think alike? Fat lot you know."
Outsourced may overstate it, but the sad fact is that Western voters or at least a plurality of them ARE pretty stoopid. Think Saskatchewan where at dissolution the Harpocrites held all but one seat, or Alberty where it's almost illegal to vote anything but Con (unless maybe you vote further right like Wildrose, I expect a Klu Klux Klan party anyday now in Alberty and BC where we have elected criminal neo-liberals provincially three times in a row and the Cons held the most federal ridings at dissolution.
"get this -- the letter was 12 months old and referred to another issue altogether. Lies. All lies. Deliberate, handcrafted, self-serving lies."
Mary, the AG report alluded to, and implied to be about the handling of G8-20 funds, was more like 12 years old (well almost a decade), as it was referring to the monies spent on security procedures etc. shortly after 9/11/2001, money I might add spent by the previous Liberal Government. For details see update to the second part of the most recent post at the House of Infamy (is it Drugs or.....Stunning Stupidity.
It is VERY unusual for not one but two drafts of an Auditor General's report to be leaked in advance and this makes me nervous. I worry that the HarperCons have done the leaking themselves to change the subject, and have an ODArized draft of the document to let them win the debate and innoculate them against the trust, ethics and comtempt of Parliament issue once and for all, while ignoring useless jets, useless jails and Bruce Carson and.............everything else.
"
Outsourced
What's with you? You think "Western Canada" voters all think alike? Fat lot you know."
Outsourced may overstate it, but the sad fact is that Western voters or at least a plurality of them ARE pretty stoopid. Think Saskatchewan where at dissolution the Harpocrites held all but one seat, or Alberty where it's almost illegal to vote anything but Con (unless maybe you vote further right like Wildrose, I expect a Klu Klux Klan party anyday now in Alberty and BC where we have elected criminal neo-liberals provincially three times in a row and the Cons held the most federal ridings at dissolution.
Speaking of 'naturally stupid and don't get it'...............
Outsourced, you are falling for one of the oldest tricks, divide and conquer. If you would stop getting mad and start getting even it would help a lot. If you notice, one region of Canada is always being pitted against another. Oh, Quebec is going to secede,Newfoundland is doing something,wicked Ontario is trying to steal Alberta's precious oil!! How can we be a united Country with all that going on? As far as Western Canadian thinking goes, it has been molded over the years by propaganda and economic terrorism from the forces that would steal Canada's resources. BC and Saskatchewan were the hold-outs but now that they have fallen (temporarily, we must hope) Western Canadians will all have to endure the same stories from the terrorists through 'their media' without any opposite examples to refer to. The internet is a wonderful tool to combat the ideology of the Conquerors as they cannot control it. If you want to help 'correct' things, get focused. Stop pissing and moaning and use 'our media' to unite Canada and drive these people out.
Outsourced, you are falling for one of the oldest tricks, divide and conquer. If you would stop getting mad and start getting even it would help a lot. If you notice, one region of Canada is always being pitted against another. Oh, Quebec is going to secede,Newfoundland is doing something,wicked Ontario is trying to steal Alberta's precious oil!! How can we be a united Country with all that going on? As far as Western Canadian thinking goes, it has been molded over the years by propaganda and economic terrorism from the forces that would steal Canada's resources. BC and Saskatchewan were the hold-outs but now that they have fallen (temporarily, we must hope) Western Canadians will all have to endure the same stories from the terrorists through 'their media' without any opposite examples to refer to. The internet is a wonderful tool to combat the ideology of the Conquerors as they cannot control it. If you want to help 'correct' things, get focused. Stop pissing and moaning and use 'our media' to unite Canada and drive these people out.
# posted by : April 12, 2011 at 9:29 a.m.
: April 12, 2011 at 9:29 a.m.
Well the KKK Party is here Koot. They have changed though. The position of Grand Dragon is no longer gender specific.
# posted by : April 12, 2011 at 9:37 a.m.
: April 12, 2011 at 9:37 a.m.
Thanks for the improvements, Koot. I caught that scruffy Harper news on the fly -- got the basics so readers could follow it up.
Did I tell you I'm writing a book?
Did I tell you I'm writing a book?
The whole Conservative party could be deregistered as a political party if the courts find those four conservatives guilty.(IN AND OUT DEBACLE) Imagine, their greed leads to the whole party being nullified.
Harper forced an election by bringing forward a ridiculous budget and his intentional Contempt of Parliament behavior was his last chance, before the court cases, that he could once again try to get a majority government. He needs a majority in order to change the law so his party won't be deregistered.
This G8 crap and now the Auditor General fraud letter is greasing the rails for the NeoCon,CRAP. Deformers
side into oblivion. I hope to God that all opposition parties in the debate tonight rag the living shit out of this every time they speak.
CGHZD
Harper forced an election by bringing forward a ridiculous budget and his intentional Contempt of Parliament behavior was his last chance, before the court cases, that he could once again try to get a majority government. He needs a majority in order to change the law so his party won't be deregistered.
This G8 crap and now the Auditor General fraud letter is greasing the rails for the NeoCon,CRAP. Deformers
side into oblivion. I hope to God that all opposition parties in the debate tonight rag the living shit out of this every time they speak.
CGHZD
# posted by : April 12, 2011 at 11:23 a.m.
: April 12, 2011 at 11:23 a.m.
In all my many years, I don't remember a time when Canada was united.
The east has always been their own country. The wests tax dollars have been funneled to the east forever, and we have received very little in return.
Harper even got our BC HST. BC is a province of natural resources, the HST does squat for the BC people, from that asinine tax that was forced upon us.
Where are the promised jobs, Campbell and Hansen said the HST was to bring? Where is all the money, we were to save? Pfft vanished, our HST has gone to the east.
The HST does squat for the BC people. And that pisses me right off. Nor, do the BC people get any benefit, from our stolen resources and assets. What good did the theft and sale of our rivers do for us?? Well, that's going to cause our hydro, to go up 50% higher, wasn't that a peachy deal for the BC people.
Harper is drooling at the mouth, to put oil and gas wells off BC's coast. Do you really think, the money will come to the BC people? Huh, not one thin dime. There has been a 6.1 earthquake in the Queen Charlotte's. That won't matter to Qttawa, after all, the spill will be in BC.
Harper and Campbell have been working on, the dirty oil tankers from China, and the dirty pipeline, from the Alberta tar sands. When the pipeline is finished, so are the jobs. None of the tar sands money will come to this province. It will all go to Ottawa. BC will just be forced to allow Ottawa, to do what they bloody well like. The spill from the tankers, will likely pollute, our beautiful coast for decades. Enbridge has had quite a few pipes burst. The pipe burst in Michigan, was a disaster.
Chretien even right said, he did not like the people from the west. However, that didn't stop his greey hands, from taking the tax dollars from the west. Quebec has wanted to separate for decades.
I think, Alberta is right, if the west separated from the east, we in the west, would be 40% better off. The west doesn't have the population, to hold the governments feet to the fire, to gain any concessions.
It is Harper's agenda, to have Canada in a Global Governance. The Global Governance, ARE these giant corporations. If you think they will give a damn about the people, guess again.
The east has always been their own country. The wests tax dollars have been funneled to the east forever, and we have received very little in return.
Harper even got our BC HST. BC is a province of natural resources, the HST does squat for the BC people, from that asinine tax that was forced upon us.
Where are the promised jobs, Campbell and Hansen said the HST was to bring? Where is all the money, we were to save? Pfft vanished, our HST has gone to the east.
The HST does squat for the BC people. And that pisses me right off. Nor, do the BC people get any benefit, from our stolen resources and assets. What good did the theft and sale of our rivers do for us?? Well, that's going to cause our hydro, to go up 50% higher, wasn't that a peachy deal for the BC people.
Harper is drooling at the mouth, to put oil and gas wells off BC's coast. Do you really think, the money will come to the BC people? Huh, not one thin dime. There has been a 6.1 earthquake in the Queen Charlotte's. That won't matter to Qttawa, after all, the spill will be in BC.
Harper and Campbell have been working on, the dirty oil tankers from China, and the dirty pipeline, from the Alberta tar sands. When the pipeline is finished, so are the jobs. None of the tar sands money will come to this province. It will all go to Ottawa. BC will just be forced to allow Ottawa, to do what they bloody well like. The spill from the tankers, will likely pollute, our beautiful coast for decades. Enbridge has had quite a few pipes burst. The pipe burst in Michigan, was a disaster.
Chretien even right said, he did not like the people from the west. However, that didn't stop his greey hands, from taking the tax dollars from the west. Quebec has wanted to separate for decades.
I think, Alberta is right, if the west separated from the east, we in the west, would be 40% better off. The west doesn't have the population, to hold the governments feet to the fire, to gain any concessions.
It is Harper's agenda, to have Canada in a Global Governance. The Global Governance, ARE these giant corporations. If you think they will give a damn about the people, guess again.
# posted by : April 12, 2011 at 4:07 p.m.
: April 12, 2011 at 4:07 p.m.
Anon 4:07,
Those commas make it difficult to understand what you've written.
Could you maybe rip the darn comma-button right OUT of your keyboard?
Those commas make it difficult to understand what you've written.
Could you maybe rip the darn comma-button right OUT of your keyboard?
Mary, feel free to email me drafts for perusal, proofreading, comments or whatever - I'd love a taste. I thrilled to hear this news.
As to AnonoComma at 4:07 - it would appear he is under the impression that one hits the comma button in time with his breathing or hearbeat. If I knew which, I could estimate his typing speed. His prose makes sense if you leave the commas out, it is as if they were randomly distributed until you think maybe they were coordinated with pulse or respiration.
"When the pipeline is finished, so are the jobs. None of the tar sands money will come to this province."
If the Enbridge Pipeline goes ahead I think the chances of it being finished are slim. If it isn't blown up while under construction it likely will be soon after - and even that depends on it not being destroyed by natural occurances such as high water and debris on the hundreds of stream crossing, avalanches, landslides or earthquakes.
Look at the resistance to the Keystone Pipeline(I think that is the name) from the Goo Pits to Texas and that route is over gentler, flatter, drier and less seismically active geography. There is no need to ship our goo to China since the US can already use more than we can provide.
If it were to be for natural gas, perhaps we could use BC Rail to ship it, once we get it back and we also own the old yellowhead line from Alberta to Prince Rupert, which the province will gain possession of from CN as damages for the theft of BC Rail through fraud.
I'm sure you will enjoy the shot of optimism displayed above.....
Of course if the governments (feds and province) are really smart (instead of just greedy), they may want to be ready to ship it to China for when the GreenBack Dollar is worthless and only yuans have any value.
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As to AnonoComma at 4:07 - it would appear he is under the impression that one hits the comma button in time with his breathing or hearbeat. If I knew which, I could estimate his typing speed. His prose makes sense if you leave the commas out, it is as if they were randomly distributed until you think maybe they were coordinated with pulse or respiration.
"When the pipeline is finished, so are the jobs. None of the tar sands money will come to this province."
If the Enbridge Pipeline goes ahead I think the chances of it being finished are slim. If it isn't blown up while under construction it likely will be soon after - and even that depends on it not being destroyed by natural occurances such as high water and debris on the hundreds of stream crossing, avalanches, landslides or earthquakes.
Look at the resistance to the Keystone Pipeline(I think that is the name) from the Goo Pits to Texas and that route is over gentler, flatter, drier and less seismically active geography. There is no need to ship our goo to China since the US can already use more than we can provide.
If it were to be for natural gas, perhaps we could use BC Rail to ship it, once we get it back and we also own the old yellowhead line from Alberta to Prince Rupert, which the province will gain possession of from CN as damages for the theft of BC Rail through fraud.
I'm sure you will enjoy the shot of optimism displayed above.....
Of course if the governments (feds and province) are really smart (instead of just greedy), they may want to be ready to ship it to China for when the GreenBack Dollar is worthless and only yuans have any value.
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