AG Draft Report: G8 Funding Lacked Transparency

[ToadBrother]

Duceppe scored today demanding Harper release the report.

As Capricorn sagely pointed out, that will be difficult, considering we don't actually have a Parliament capable of releasing the report to. It can be leaked, maybe, or maybe the PM could justify releasing it to Cabinet.

But what I've seen in the last few minutes is as good (from a strategic point of view) argument made by some in the Tory party that the final report isn't nearly as damning as the draft report. Obviously, that's bullcrap, but it's the best they can probably manage. Try to put off the damage as much as possible until after the election.

[guyser]

well this is certainly a First---- Imagine an Anti-CPC item in the torstar--- what will we see next? perhaps a Pro Iggy slant to all their political items???

Ahh...first rule of Cons, slag the paper with no regard to the story being true.

So tell me, you wouldnt believe the weather report on the masthead either?

Maybe Charles A can merge these two threads.

Edited April 11, 2011 by guyser

[eyeball]

But what I've seen in the last few minutes is as good (from a strategic point of view) argument made by some in the Tory party that the final report isn't nearly as damning as the draft report. Obviously, that's bullcrap, but it's the best they can probably manage. Try to put off the damage as much as possible until after the election.

Sounds like they're taking a page from Fukushima's damage control team.

[Harry]

Conservatives are going into a no-win situation with this. Planting the seeds of doubt and letting imaginations run wild with a little help from the opposition will probably be much more damaging than the actual report.

[Harry]

Those poor Conservatives are so helpless. Too funny.

LeakWatch: So, why can't Sheila Fraser just release the final version of the G8 report ...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/inside-politics-blog/2011/04/leakwatch-so-why-cant-sheila-fraser-just-release-the-final-version-of-the-g8-report.html

Edited April 11, 2011 by Harry

[blueblood]

Conservatives are going into a no-win situation with this. Planting the seeds of doubt and letting imaginations run wild with a little help from the opposition will probably be much more damaging than the actual report.

Keep dreaming, they'll still win the election. The only thing up for debate is by how much.

[Harry]

Keep dreaming, they'll still win the election. The only thing up for debate is by how much.

No one said anything about the actual election results.

As TB has said after May 2 will be much more interesting than before May 2.

Edited April 11, 2011 by Harry

[Harry]

This always seem to happen to Harper just before his elusive majority.

Tories left scrambling after leak of G8 report, call for release of final draft

The Conservative election campaign is in full damage-control mode following a bombshell report from the auditor general that's critical of government spending during last June's G8 meeting.

An early draft of the report, a chapter of which has been seen by The Canadian Press, accuses the government of misinforming Parliament to win approval of a $50-million fund for spending in Industry Minister Tony Clement's riding.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/federal-election/leaders-cut-appearances-ahead-of-midweek-debates-as-campaign-approaches-midpoint-119585829.html

Edited April 11, 2011 by Harry

[ToadBrother]

Keep dreaming, they'll still win the election. The only thing up for debate is by how much.

They'll win a minority. A majority was a tall order even before this, probably impossible afterwards, and then they have to figure out how not to be tossed out of government at the end of May. I realize they're your home team, but surely you have to admit the odds are not looking good for the Tories at this point.

Perhaps how a government treats Parliament is important after all...

Edited April 11, 2011 by ToadBrother

[geoffrey]

Wait until the final report comes out. The best this provides is a distraction for Iggy during the debates when Jack and Harper are hammering him on the riduclousness of his "stolen" Red book. So, +1 for Iggy. For now. I'm sure this, like all the other "scandals" the Liberals think they've found, will turn out to be a bunch of hot air.

Anyone remember Bev Oda? Bev who?

Unless Tony's been slipping envelopes under the table Liberal style, there probably isn't much here. Governments of all stripes over spend all the time.

[ToadBrother]

Wait until the final report comes out. The best this provides is a distraction for Iggy during the debates when Jack and Harper are hammering him on the riduclousness of his "stolen" Red book. So, +1 for Iggy. For now. I'm sure this, like all the other "scandals" the Liberals think they've found, will turn out to be a bunch of hot air.

Anyone remember Bev Oda? Bev who?

Unless Tony's been slipping envelopes under the table Liberal style, there probably isn't much here. Governments of all stripes over spend all the time.

I remember who Bev Oda is. And as to the wider defence, it's too late in the game to worry about voter amnesia. You might have noticed, we're in the middle of an election. Trying to assert that the voters are semi-retarded with short-term memory problems seems, well, a tad desperate. But if that gives you a little unjustified but necessary hope, so be it. I think the fix is in, myself. The voters will remember, and in the ridings the Tories need the most, and they'll be deprived the majority they want, and will have to figure out in very short order how not to be defeated over the throne speech.

The word "castrated" seems to come to mind here.

Edited April 11, 2011 by ToadBrother

[Harry]

Wait until the final report comes out.

And Harper would not have arranged to have the report released if it had exonerated the Conservatives? Yea, right. More absurd talking points.

[ToadBrother]

And Harper would not have arranged to have the report released if it had exonerated the Conservatives? Yea, right. More absurd talking points.

I'm more amused about the idea that a defence of misdeeds is "The voters are semi-retarded amnesiacs who'll forget everything and vote Tory."

[jbg]

You think so? My response is a big old yawn. And I'm hardly a lifelong Tory loyalist. Now if the allegation was that the money had gone into the pockets of friends of Clements, or some other sign the Tories were secretly profiting campaign donors I'd be more concerned. But look, right in the story it says:

In June, the Conservatives defended the use of the G8 Legacy Fund, admitting some of the money was going to projects unrelated to the summit.

"A limited number of projects (are) designed in the legacy to say, ‘Listen, the folks in this region are going to endure a heck of a lot of security, a heck of a lot of challenges during that G8 summit, and just as a thank you we're supporting some public infrastructure projects,'" said Transport Minister John Baird.

So what exactly is the shock value here? The money was spent on infrastructure. It could as easily have come from their big infrastructure incentive spending program but (shrug) it came from this instead. It's all the same wallet anyway.

Sounds like old news to me.

Anyone remember Bev Oda? Bev who?

Some clown on here posted that the Oda situation was the talk of coffeehouses throughout Canada. I thought that was good for a laugh.

[blueblood]

They'll win a minority. A majority was a tall order even before this, probably impossible afterwards, and then they have to figure out how not to be tossed out of government at the end of May. I realize they're your home team, but surely you have to admit the odds are not looking good for the Tories at this point.

Perhaps how a government treats Parliament is important after all...

You pretty much got it there. That scandal does not look good at all and will affect swing voters - most likely stay home like the last time. Look for another 300 million dollar bill in about 2 yrs.

The only shot the tories have at a majority is how sick voters are of minority govts. That's the ultimate what if.

[ToadBrother]

You pretty much got it there. That scandal does not look good at all and will affect swing voters - most likely stay home like the last time. Look for another 300 million dollar bill in about 2 yrs.

The only shot the tories have at a majority is how sick voters are of minority govts. That's the ultimate what if.

Judging by the polls, they're not sick of it yet.

[RNG]

Breaking news on the CBC news website -

Auditor general urges 'caution' after leaked G8 report

Auditor General Sheila Fraser is urging Canadians to wait for her office's final report on G8 and G20 summit costs after a report on a leaked draft put the campaigning Conservatives on the defensive.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/04/11/cv-election-ag-report-reaction-1244.html

I don't think this is the scandal the opposition wants to make of it, other than stirring up the MSM. It's so sad that making news has become the main focus of most MSM these days.

[Harry]

As Harper already knew the AG will not be releasing the report. Duceppe says the government already has a copy of the report. So the fact that Harper is not releasing the report suggests it is very damaging to the Conservatives. So much for Harper's talk of transparency, it's just all talk. OMG, how could this be happening now!

[Shakeyhands]

Anyone remember Bev Oda? Bev who?

Hey Geoffrey, missed you around here.

Isn't Bev Oda that woman who lied to Parliament and was part of the reason that the Government was found to be in contempt? You know that Governemt, the same one who is being accused (in draft fprm anyway) of misleading Parliament yet again.

Capricorn, While it is true that this gives the Bloc, NDP and Liberals even more ammunition, I would think that as a Canadian you would be upset that these are YOUR tax dollars that are being spent by a group of people who include the General Manager of a resort! We had a lenghty discussion about some of the expenditures a while back, the Sidewalk that covered most of the hydrants and the gazebo jump to mind right now. According to the list, things installed 100km away from the site.... wow. If I was a CPC voter, this would give me a definite pause.

[RNG]

The Canadian Press said the draft was obtained by a supporter of an opposition party.

Baird said "it's common" for versions of reports to be changed substantially.

"I told you what was not in the report. I don't have the authority to release subsequent drafts. I haven't seen the final draft," Baird said.

"We are very comfortable to ask for the report to be made public so people can come to their own conclusions and their own judgments. I think that is being open. I think that is being incredibly transparent."

When asked whether the Conservative government leaned on Fraser to change the report, Baird laughed and said the auditor general "is not someone that is pushed around."

It's getting as bad as the US with the partisanship most on this forum display.

[geoffrey]

And Harper would not have arranged to have the report released if it had exonerated the Conservatives? Yea, right. More absurd talking points.

It really isn't Harper's report to release. It's up to the AG and the Speaker (a Liberal). Sheila is saying be cautious as the report as seen in the media has nothing to do with the final, which she will release upon the return of the House.

I'm more amused about the idea that a defence of misdeeds is "The voters are semi-retarded amnesiacs who'll forget everything and vote Tory."

No, it's just that Canadians have more important things to worry about than whether or not a minister scribbled "not" on a document that disallowed funding for a marginal hippie group that most Canadians wouldn't want funded anyway.

The constant non-scandal "scandals" that the opposite kept bringing up every couple weeks has muted their appeal to the electorate now. I imagine most people are saying, "oh ya, ANOTHER scandal that will turn out to be nothing," and just tuning out.

Anyone that thinks that Oda is an election issue is clearly delusional.

[ToadBrother]

It really isn't Harper's report to release. It's up to the AG and the Speaker (a Liberal). Sheila is saying be cautious as the report as seen in the media has nothing to do with the final, which she will release upon the return of the House.

Where is Fraser saying anything like that? The only public statement I've heard is that the AG won't comment during the campaign and urging caution. Nowhere is she saying "the report as seen in the media has nothing to do with the final report". I mean, that's the most idiotic fabrication I've ever seen.

And the Speaker has no role in this. Parliament isn't sitting, so releasing the report is likely pretty much impossible. So this little "He's a Liberal" line is nothing more than a red herring.

My God man, you're just making this up. I cannot believe the lengths partisan supporters go to to try to turn a bad story good.

No, it's just that Canadians have more important things to worry about than whether or not a minister scribbled "not" on a document that disallowed funding for a marginal hippie group that most Canadians wouldn't want funded anyway.

The constant non-scandal "scandals" that the opposite kept bringing up every couple weeks has muted their appeal to the electorate now. I imagine most people are saying, "oh ya, ANOTHER scandal that will turn out to be nothing," and just tuning out.

Since the story just broke, I think trying to predict what the electorate will think is a bit premature, don't you?

Anyone that thinks that Oda is an election issue is clearly delusional.

What does Oda have to do with this?

Is it really your defence of all of this that voters are semi-retarded amnesiacs? Is that what it amounts to?

Edited April 11, 2011 by ToadBrother

[bush_cheney2004]

...The constant non-scandal "scandals" that the opposite kept bringing up every couple weeks has muted their appeal to the electorate now. I imagine most people are saying, "oh ya, ANOTHER scandal that will turn out to be nothing," and just tuning out.

Just wait...the big one hasn't broken in the news yet...

PM Harper was seen drinking milk from a carton after the expiration date!

[RNG]

Where is Fraser saying anything like that? The only public statement I've heard is that the AG won't comment during the campaign.

And the Speaker has no role in this. Parliament isn't sitting, so releasing the report is likely pretty much impossible. So this little "He's a Liberal" line is nothing more than a red herring.

My God man, you're just making this up. I cannot believe the lengths partisan supporters go to to try to turn a bad story good.

Did you read http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/04/11/cv-election-ag-report-reaction-1244.html?

The AG said "Auditor General Sheila Fraser is urging Canadians to wait for her office's final report on G8 and G20 summit costs after a report on a leaked draft put the campaigning Conservatives on the defensive."

That's way different than "won't comment".

[capricorn]

Auditor general urges 'caution' after leaked G8 report

I believe this is key in Fraser's intervention.

"I strongly caution the public to wait until our final report on the G8 Legacy Infrastructure Fund has been tabled in Parliament and made public," Fraser said.

"Sometimes during the process of fact validation, additional information is brought to our attention. Only the final report that is tabled in Parliament represents our audit findings and conclusions."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/04/11/cv-election-ag-report-reaction-1244.html

Now why would she draw attention to "fact validation and additional information"? Even auditors can produce reports of findings on the basis of erroneous data. As an example, some expenditures taken into account could have been outside the summit budget and mistakenly included. I worked in the public service for years and I know that draft reports are routinely re-evaluated at various levels of the bureaucracy to ensure their validity and accuracy before the approved version is released. Even more so with reports to Parliament.

I don't think this is the scandal the opposition wants to make of it, other than stirring up the MSM. It's so sad that making news has become the main focus of most MSM these days.

Short of releasing the final report, Fraser has handed Harper some ammunition to take to the debates. Sheila Fraser is known to and well regarded by Canadians and they trust her. The opposition would not dare question the veracity of her very words, even if it was Harper repeating them.

That said, the leaked report throws Harper off his game and this plays into the hands of the opposition.