Disgusting

I am disgusted.

Canada’s unelected Minister of Public Works, Michael Fortier, has just announced the hiring of an “independent adviser” to investigate the polling contracts of the previous Liberal government. This “independent adviser”, Mr. Daniel Paillé, happens to be a former Quebec cabinet minister in a separatist PQ government. But, although one can legitimately question the Conservative government’s motivations for hiring a separatist to investigate a matter that some call the last chapter of the sponsorship scandal, Mr. Paillé’s political affiliation is not what disgusts me. After all, he’s still a Canadian citizen with the right qualifications, which is enough.

What disgusts me is the very nature of the job. Mr. Paillé is being paid around $1000 a day (+office and staff) to conduct an investigation into a matter that has already been covered by Auditor-General Sheila Fraser (who’s name Paillé had to be reminded of by the media). Why would the Coservatives want to spend taxpayer dollars on an investigation which had already been undertaken by the Auditor-General?

Let me give you some clues:
-the report’s release is set to coincide with a possible autumn election.
-unlike Justice Gomery, Mr. Paillé has no legal obligations so his report can be partisan or manipulated by the government
-it re-creates the buzz of the sponsorship scandal

This scheme may or may not backfire, but at the moment, I sincerely hope it does.