You have to wonder why after a whole year of Auditor General Sheila Fraser wanting to look at the MPs expense accounts, they won't budge. Why is that? Could they have something to hide? Sure doesn't look even if everything is on the up and up.
You would also think in the aftermath of the scandal that broke across the pond last year involving UK MPs expenses, our MPs would want to be open and transparent and ease the taxpayers that our money is being spent appropriately. It's the taxpayers money after all not the MP's.
This is one issue they seem to be all united on. Both Minister Nicholson and Mr. Z thinks there's no need to make expenses public. Why not? I am really puzzled. If there's nothing to hide, let Sheila Fraser take a look. I don't care how they slice it. How they can justify not releasing the way they spend that money. It looks bad, really bad. We taxpayers have the right to know.
MPs. open those books. Allow the AG to take a look. CPC MPs, you can be leaders here, what's hindering thee? Opposition MPs, you want all the documents released about the detainee issue, well release your expense documents. Don't be hypocrites. What's so secret you won't release them? Media, do your job here and hound those MPs like you're hounding for the government to release sensitive information on the Afghan documents and the Rahim/Guergis affair. This is about taxpayer funds!
This is not like the Afghan detainee issue. There is no national security at risk here. The only security at risk here is MPs jobs, that's all. The longer you MPs hold out, the more suspicious and cynical the public will be. If those expenses are not revealed and looked at, there will always be questions.
Then they wonder why the public is turned off politics and voter turn out is low. This is the kind of thing that turns people off along with all the faux scandal outrage that the opposition and the media try and stir up. Go figure!
O/T, from Edmonton Journal,
ReplyDeleteOwing note of thanks for Canada's banks
Mulroney finance minister set up stable system
By Alim Merali, Freelance May 1, 2010
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Owing+note+thanks+Canada+banks/2974852/story.html
frmgrl, this is the first time I read about it.
Frankly, I think this aspect tends to get a tad silly. Inevitably the MSM has a field day with it, as there's no way on earth they're not going to find exceptions among 308 MPs.
ReplyDeleteAnd thus we'll get a litany of "scandalous" nonsense such as pencil sharpeners for $21.00 that clearly could have been bought at Staples for $9.99...with mail-in rebate.
It just becomes yet another, by far for the most part, idiotic gong show that ends up being a distraction from considerably more serious issues.
Which thus will affect more disenchantment than no audit at all.
FWIW, and IMHO.
Ironic isn't it, that the Liberals want details of our current combat operations made public, but when it comes to how big of a bill they tallied up at the Keg, forget about it.
ReplyDeleteSince we have "a living document" as a constitution and it's open to the court's interpretation we can throw our right to good government out as a way to force disclosure.
ReplyDeleteAs it sits we have the right to see only what our reps want us to see.
Ahh Democracy that great catch phrase that gives the impression of the will of the people but really only means the right to elect regional members to seats in the house.
We need a real Canadian Constitution and a republic of the people and by the people. Democracy is a joke played on republicans and libertarians to make us believe we live in a free country governed by the will of the people when really we have no say what so ever except who will sit and dictate to us for four years.
Jen said...
ReplyDeleteO/T, from Edmonton Journal,
Owing note of thanks for Canada's banks
Mulroney finance minister set up stable system
Interesting. You sure don't hear that from CBC,CTV, TorStar,G&M,etc. Liberals boast it was them and the media once again doesn't do their homework but instead choose to parrot the Libs and give them the praise.
The_Iceman said...
ReplyDeleteIronic isn't it, that the Liberals want details of our current combat operations made public, but when it comes to how big of a bill they tallied up at the Keg, forget about it.
Hypocrites,all of them!
No, the AG should concentrate on her job auditing gov't expenses. This would just be a gotcha cruise in the current environment. The audit would cost more than any "horrors found" by a longshot! There are checks and balances in place, which I am sure can be fine-tuned. Her office is not doing any program evaluation, so they should do more of that first!
ReplyDelete