Ex-watchdog slams MPs over audit rejection

A former auditor general is askingwhy members of Parliament are refusing to permit a special audit oftheir expenses,saying theyare acting as if they have something to hide.

"Well, I'm mystified," said Ken Dye,Canada'sauditor general from 1981 to 1991.

"Why are they being reluctant to being transparent? I think theyre condemning themselves, telling the world, 'Were afraid that youre going to find something, so were not going to let you find it.'"

Auditor General Sheila Fraser asked last June if her office could conduct a "performance audit" on $533 million of annual spending bythe House of Commons and the Senate.

But Parliament's all-party Board of Internal Economyrecently rejected the request, sayingthe proposed audit "would go beyond the scope of the auditor general's mandate."

MPs also sayanindependent auditor already examines MPs expenses, so theres no need to dig any deeper.

Performance audit sought

ButMPs' expensesmake up only a small part of theCommons budget. Fraser also wanted to do whats called a "performance audit" on expenses that include training staff and security.

During his tenure, Dye wasallowed to do performance audits and subsequentlymade numerous recommendations in areas such as staff training and hiring practices.

Dye says taxpayers have no way of knowing if theCommons followed his recommendations, since MPs have refused to open their books.

Politicians say they have been getting mail from many angry constituents, upset that their MPs will not allow the audit.

On Wednesday, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said he wants theauditor general to meet withthe Board of Internal Economy.But he wouldn't commit to supporting Fraser's efforts, saying Canadians "don't want us to go through receipts of this meal and that meal."