As our new Prime Minister and his party try to minimize the auditor-general’s report, one way to do that is to blame Jean Chretien.

Another is to shoot the messenger.

Auditor-General Sheila Fraser has become a folk hero across Canada for her blunt criticism of government misspending, but inside Ottawa she’s feared as much as she is admired for her scathing commentary and far-reaching probes.

“She describes things like they were the biggest event since the big bang,” grumbled one senior federal official whose government has been pummelled by Ms. Fraser’s most recent report on sponsorship scandals.

If Canadians pay attention to this mess, I’ve no doubt some hard working decent politicans may lose their ticket to Ottawa next election. And that is the price of unethical party politics rumbling around for years. The temptation as a citizen is to grumble, shrug and move on. That’s not the right way to exercise our democratic rights. Yes, Sheila Fraser is a folk hero. She did her job.
Let’s do ours.

The RCMP have asked to withdraw from the investigation they began in 2002.
The Sûreté du Québec will make their decision on whether to take over soon.

LivingRoom
Oh. That Australia. That’s funny.

Posting has been light.
Been busy.
Guess who’s coming to dinner?