MP takes aim at Liberals

By Dan Hilborn
Pubished Nov. 27, 2004


The federal Liberal government is being accused of playing games with the office of its most successful watchdog, auditor-general Sheila Fraser, by the rookie member of Parliament for Burnaby-New Westminster, Peter Julian.

Julian, a member of Parliament's public accounts committee, said Fraser is facing a 15 per cent budget cut this year, and he believes the reduction is "payback" for her blowing the whistle on the sponsorship scandal in Quebec.

"This looks like a vindictive reaction from the Liberals against the auditor for simply doing her job," Julian said Tuesday morning. "She's the one who points out areas of waste and misuse of taxpayer funds."

According to Julian, Fraser stated at the public accounts committee meeting on Nov. 18 that her approved budget for next year is $60.8 million, a reduction of more than 15 per cent, which could result in the layoff of 85 of her total 580 employees.

Speaking in the house on Monday, Julian criticized federal treasury board president Reg Alcock for using his purse to influence the auditor general's actions.

"Mr. Speaker, it is intimidation pure and simple," Julian said. "In this corner of the house, we are not going to stand for it."

An official Hansard translation of Julian's comments in French had even more damning words for the federal Liberals: "The president of the treasury board is taking his revenge by attempting to silence the only public service that can effectively protect taxpayers' money against more sponsorship scandals."

Alcock denied the allegations.

"There has been no reduction in the funding to the auditor's office, and there will not be. In fact, there has been a substantial increase," Alcock said, according to a transcript of Hansard - the official recorder of debates in the House.

But Julian said the withheld funding amounts to $11.5 million and, unless the money is freed, the auditor's work will be hampered.

"It shocks the heck out of me that the Liberals are playing games with the auditor's budget. Sheila Fraser has been insistent and dogged in identifying areas of Liberal waste and mismanagement, and her report is a watershed each year. She needs more resources, not less."

The auditor general is asking for independent funding. Will the president of the treasury board stop these acts of vengeance against the auditor general and establish today this independent funding?