Too lazy to make a Canadian filter
I can't think of a good forum to bring this up in, but I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the delayed release of the Auditor General's report. The matter has come up in the debates. Drafts of the report have been leaked and are, apparently, not very nice towards the Conservatives, which is why the Opposition parties are keen to bring the matter up. Marla pointed me to this petition which I'm hesitant to sign, as much as I agree in principle that we should know what's in it.
The CBC reported on the matter on Tuesday and talked about NDP Member Christopherson:Chistopherson also defended a decision to block a motion that could have allowed Fraser's report on G8 spending to be released during the election.
The Hamilton Centre NDP candidate told reporters on Tuesday that a motion came up before the House of Commons's public accounts committee that would have opened the door to permitting the auditor general's report to be released when Parliament was not in session.
The NDP voted with the Conservatives on March 24 to put off the motion to a future meeting. However, the Conservative minority government fell on March 25.
Christopherson, who was vice-chair of the Commons committee, said on Tuesday, however, that the Liberal request came up on short notice without time to examine the proposal or bring in the auditor general to discuss the change in policy.
"Of course I realized there was some partisan advantage for me, and other MPs, if I allowed this to happen, but it was not in keeping with the democratic traditions of Parliament, nor was it respectful of the office of the auditor," Christopherson said.
"The hypocrisy of the move was too much. Political parties have done their fair share of sitting on auditor general reports in the past."
He said there are very strict rules around how the auditor general's reports are released and that changing the practice for partisan gain would be wrong.
"In my view I did the right thing in terms of why I'm there and whose views I'm representing in that committee," Christopherson said.
If I'm to understand correctly, his main objection is that Parliament is not in session and its not procedurally sound to release the report without a Parliament to look at it? Is this true? The guy is acting against his party's best interests and he sounds like he's doing the right thing so I have to think he's not just making this all up.
The CBC reported on the matter on Tuesday and talked about NDP Member Christopherson:Chistopherson also defended a decision to block a motion that could have allowed Fraser's report on G8 spending to be released during the election.
The Hamilton Centre NDP candidate told reporters on Tuesday that a motion came up before the House of Commons's public accounts committee that would have opened the door to permitting the auditor general's report to be released when Parliament was not in session.
The NDP voted with the Conservatives on March 24 to put off the motion to a future meeting. However, the Conservative minority government fell on March 25.
Christopherson, who was vice-chair of the Commons committee, said on Tuesday, however, that the Liberal request came up on short notice without time to examine the proposal or bring in the auditor general to discuss the change in policy.
"Of course I realized there was some partisan advantage for me, and other MPs, if I allowed this to happen, but it was not in keeping with the democratic traditions of Parliament, nor was it respectful of the office of the auditor," Christopherson said.
"The hypocrisy of the move was too much. Political parties have done their fair share of sitting on auditor general reports in the past."
He said there are very strict rules around how the auditor general's reports are released and that changing the practice for partisan gain would be wrong.
"In my view I did the right thing in terms of why I'm there and whose views I'm representing in that committee," Christopherson said.
If I'm to understand correctly, his main objection is that Parliament is not in session and its not procedurally sound to release the report without a Parliament to look at it? Is this true? The guy is acting against his party's best interests and he sounds like he's doing the right thing so I have to think he's not just making this all up.