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OTTAWA (CP) - Auditor General Sheila Fraser tables one of her regular critiques on Tuesday and, for a change, the federal government isn't cringing.
In fact, Fraser's first report since Prime Minister Stephen Harper came to power appears certain to be welcomed as political manna by a Conservative government bent on policy changes on a range of fronts.
The auditor, in the first of three reports scheduled for release this year, will dissect the firearms registry, military recruitment, the management of First Nations programs and tax debt collection, among other subjects.
The list presents an unlikely win-win for Harper's Tories, who can use the audits to bludgeon the deposed Liberal government and as affirmation for new policy directions.
Canadians got a preview last week when details of one element of the Tuesday audit pertaining to the federal gun registry were leaked to the media.
The story said the previous Liberal government purposely hid the registry's ballooning cost overruns from Parliament. If borne out by the audit, the leak plays nicely to the Harper government's re-election and policy agendas.
Opposition MPs cried foul and Conservatives, insisting they were appalled by the security breach, launched an internal investigation.
But MP Jason Kenney, Harper's parliamentary secretary, didn't deny that the audit revelations, if true, would assist the Tory cause.
"If there is an AG's report that is critical of the total schmozzle that was the Liberal long-arm registry, of course it will make our case that this was a huge waste of the tax dollars, that it did nothing to prevent crime and that our policy is on the money in terms of wanting the thing (wrapped) up," said the Calgary MP.
"Any evidence that supports what we've long contended with respect to the firearms registry would be helpful to taxpayers in ending the waste."
Liberal Marlene Jennings says most audit reports can be viewed as a cup half empty or half full.
The government's role on audit day is to highlight what it has done to fix problems identified by the auditor general. That's not going to happen on Tuesday, she said, anticipating nothing but a "drive-by smear" by the Tories.
"It presents a dilemma (to Liberal opposition MPs) only in the sense that it's clear this Conservative government is prepared to politicize everything in order to achieve its goal," Jennings fumed.
Fraser became something of a celebrity in February 2004 after her devastating audit of the federal sponsorship program - and even blunter post-audit commentary - set the political charge that would eventually topple the Liberal dynasty.
Her reports since then have been far less incendiary, but Tuesday's edition promises plenty of timely and newsworthy political fodder:
-First Nations programs: After taking heat for effectively killing the $5 billion Kelowna agreement on aboriginal health and education in their first budget, the Conservatives will be looking for Fraser to bolster their arguments that better oversight of the existing $8-billion-plus spent annually would do more to help Canada's First Nations.
-Armed Forces recruiting and retention: An expanded military is a Tory government theme and the audit - whether it praises efforts to date or demands better - can only bolster the Conservative argument.
-Collection of tax debts: The Canada Revenue Agency considers almost $5 billion in undisputed tax debts to be uncollectable, and the auditor general is looking at why. Harper's campaign pitch to voters who "work hard, pay their taxes and play by the rules" dovetails with this largely intractable tax loss.
-Canadian Firearms Program: The auditor is revisiting the perennially troubled gun registry at the same time the Conservatives grapple with how to dismantle one of their favourite targets.
Conservative strategist Tim Powers said the first audit report after a new government comes to power is always aimed at the shortcomings of its predecessor, but Tories need to remember their time under Fraser's microscope will come.
"The danger for this government, or any other, is to celebrate too vigorously the lack of management practices of another government," said Powers.
"You too invariably will be examined by the auditor general. It's important to respond but not to gloat."
©The Canadian Press, 2006
OTTAWA (CP) - Auditor General Sheila Fraser tables one of her regular critiques on Tuesday and, for a change, the federal government isn't cringing.
In fact, Fraser's first report since Prime Minister Stephen Harper came to power appears certain to be welcomed as political manna by a Conservative government bent on policy changes on a range of fronts.
The auditor, in the first of three reports scheduled for release this year, will dissect the firearms registry, military recruitment, the management of First Nations programs and tax debt collection, among other subjects.
The list presents an unlikely win-win for Harper's Tories, who can use the audits to bludgeon the deposed Liberal government and as affirmation for new policy directions.
Canadians got a preview last week when details of one element of the Tuesday audit pertaining to the federal gun registry were leaked to the media.
The story said the previous Liberal government purposely hid the registry's ballooning cost overruns from Parliament. If borne out by the audit, the leak plays nicely to the Harper government's re-election and policy agendas.
Opposition MPs cried foul and Conservatives, insisting they were appalled by the security breach, launched an internal investigation.
But MP Jason Kenney, Harper's parliamentary secretary, didn't deny that the audit revelations, if true, would assist the Tory cause.
"If there is an AG's report that is critical of the total schmozzle that was the Liberal long-arm registry, of course it will make our case that this was a huge waste of the tax dollars, that it did nothing to prevent crime and that our policy is on the money in terms of wanting the thing (wrapped) up," said the Calgary MP.
"Any evidence that supports what we've long contended with respect to the firearms registry would be helpful to taxpayers in ending the waste."
Liberal Marlene Jennings says most audit reports can be viewed as a cup half empty or half full.
The government's role on audit day is to highlight what it has done to fix problems identified by the auditor general. That's not going to happen on Tuesday, she said, anticipating nothing but a "drive-by smear" by the Tories.
"It presents a dilemma (to Liberal opposition MPs) only in the sense that it's clear this Conservative government is prepared to politicize everything in order to achieve its goal," Jennings fumed.
Fraser became something of a celebrity in February 2004 after her devastating audit of the federal sponsorship program - and even blunter post-audit commentary - set the political charge that would eventually topple the Liberal dynasty.
Her reports since then have been far less incendiary, but Tuesday's edition promises plenty of timely and newsworthy political fodder:
-First Nations programs: After taking heat for effectively killing the $5 billion Kelowna agreement on aboriginal health and education in their first budget, the Conservatives will be looking for Fraser to bolster their arguments that better oversight of the existing $8-billion-plus spent annually would do more to help Canada's First Nations.
-Armed Forces recruiting and retention: An expanded military is a Tory government theme and the audit - whether it praises efforts to date or demands better - can only bolster the Conservative argument.
-Collection of tax debts: The Canada Revenue Agency considers almost $5 billion in undisputed tax debts to be uncollectable, and the auditor general is looking at why. Harper's campaign pitch to voters who "work hard, pay their taxes and play by the rules" dovetails with this largely intractable tax loss.
-Canadian Firearms Program: The auditor is revisiting the perennially troubled gun registry at the same time the Conservatives grapple with how to dismantle one of their favourite targets.
Conservative strategist Tim Powers said the first audit report after a new government comes to power is always aimed at the shortcomings of its predecessor, but Tories need to remember their time under Fraser's microscope will come.
"The danger for this government, or any other, is to celebrate too vigorously the lack of management practices of another government," said Powers.
"You too invariably will be examined by the auditor general. It's important to respond but not to gloat."
©The Canadian Press, 2006