Expense spending increases hidden, Noel testifies

The Newfoundland and Labrador legislature's former top administrator admitted Tuesday to hiding spending increases at the house of assembly on orders from high-ranking politicians.

John Noel, the former clerk of the house, is testifying at the fraud trial of former Liberal cabinet minister Jim Walsh. Walsh is one of four former politicians charged in the 2005 spending scandal over questionable spending by members of all three political parties.

Noel testified he was asked to remove financial information from the minutes of the house of assembly's internal economy committee meetings.

He told the court that former Speakers of the house often asked him to remove "anything dealing with the finances of the house" and that "members were skittish over increases to financial allowances."

Noel also testified about his relationship with Bill Murray, the former director of financial operations for the legislature. Murray is still waiting to stand trial, but he was implicated in the scandal whenEd Byrne, the former PC cabinet minister, pleaded guilty to forging documents and stealing $117,000.

"I trusted him," Noel said of Murray.

"To this day I have found it very difficult to believe that the trust I put in Mr. Murray was violated."