A month ago I argued here that the actions of this government, and the way they have handled the shenanigans of MHAs and their constituency allowances, suggest that the Williams government is far more concerned with managing the issue to this government's political benefit rather than trying to get to the bottom of things.
Now that position has been proven.
Tonight on CBC television, a report by David Cochrane includes an interview with the Auditor General John Noseworthy. Noseworthy reveals that the release of his next major report, due in September on the constituency allowance records of all current MHAs, has been changed.
It turns out that a month ago, somebody at the Premier's office asked that the AG put on a push to do a report covering all the MHAs since 1989 instead.
Why?
As Cochrane points out, if the report was to be compiled as originally tasked, the covered MHA would have been 2/3 tories. Now, going back to 1989, it will be 3/4 Liberals.
The goal is to dilute current shenanigans with historical shenanigans just before the provincial election.
Should the MHAs going back to 1989 be looked at? Yes they should.
But with the telephone call of a faceless staffer of the Premier's Office, they have proved beyond any reasonable doubt that the overall goal of these "investigations" is political manipulation with uncovering the truth a distant second priority.
So we still need a public inquiry so this matter can be taken out of these self-interested hands in the Premier's office. That hope grows fainter by the day.
Now that position has been proven.
Tonight on CBC television, a report by David Cochrane includes an interview with the Auditor General John Noseworthy. Noseworthy reveals that the release of his next major report, due in September on the constituency allowance records of all current MHAs, has been changed.
It turns out that a month ago, somebody at the Premier's office asked that the AG put on a push to do a report covering all the MHAs since 1989 instead.
Why?
As Cochrane points out, if the report was to be compiled as originally tasked, the covered MHA would have been 2/3 tories. Now, going back to 1989, it will be 3/4 Liberals.
The goal is to dilute current shenanigans with historical shenanigans just before the provincial election.
Should the MHAs going back to 1989 be looked at? Yes they should.
But with the telephone call of a faceless staffer of the Premier's Office, they have proved beyond any reasonable doubt that the overall goal of these "investigations" is political manipulation with uncovering the truth a distant second priority.
So we still need a public inquiry so this matter can be taken out of these self-interested hands in the Premier's office. That hope grows fainter by the day.
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