Monday, March 23, 2009

Auditor General Didn't Get The Memo

On March 3rd, in response to a question demanding accountability for the government's 3 billion "slush fund", Harper responded in Parliament with the following:
"The fact of the matter is that we have consulted the Auditor General. We will be fully accountable for this money. This money is necessary to make sure that we take full advantage of the upcoming construction season."

Harper explicitly implies that the Auditor General is in the loop on the stimulus expenditure, what is required. But, if you read today's comments from the Auditor General, she essentially parrots the opposition concerns and articulates no such "consultation":
"It's not unreasonable.

$3 billion is a fair bit of money and they must have ideas, even in broad strokes, how that money will flow between April and June," she said.

"I must say that I don't buy the argument that they can't tell them something -- maybe not the detail of, say, what festival, or how much, but they could at least say where the money is going, whether it's (to) infrastructure or festivals."

If "the fact of the matter" is the Conservatives consulted with the Auditor General, why doesn't she "buy the argument" of the government, namely that they can't be accountable. Seems to me, Harper has boxed himself into a corner, trying to undermine the opposition's reasonable accountable demands, using the Auditor General for cover, when in fact she is asking the SAME questions.

4 comments:

A Eliz. said...

I do not think she is very happy right now. Harper's nose is growing longer.

Steve V said...

I think it begs a couple questions. Did you really consult with the AG, and if so, why didn't you take her advice?

JimmE said...

Parse his language & I bet he is not ling, but rather misleading. It is similar to Palin when she said "Thanks, but no thanks" She took the money, [Thanks] built the highway to the bridge to nowhere, just not the bridge to nowhere [No thanks].

"The fact of the matter is that we have consulted the Auditor General."
(This Consultation could have been about if she wanted SENS tickets.)
"We will be fully accountable for this money."
(How is not spelled out but one might argue as this is money approved by the House, by that action they are accountable.)

It is an exercise in misleading folks by hoping nobody will notice. Funny story, NOTICING LITTLE THINGS IS WHY WE PAY THE AG!

burlivespipe said...

Meanwhile, they are slushing lots of money to their ridings for knitting clubs, dance circles and scrapbooking. Talk about a boondoggle waiting to happen. Give them the $3b without any oversight and you'd see every dog in a CON riding wearing leather chaps!