Harper appointee under fire from Dion (hilarious Liberal indignation!)

CanWest via National Post - Canada ^ | Thursday, April 12, 2007 | Andrew Mayeda

[GMMAC]

Harper appointee under fire from Dion

Andrew Mayeda, CanWest News Service
Published: Thursday, April 12, 2007

OTTAWA - The Harper government was accused yesterday of launching a political "witch hunt" against the Liberals after naming a former separatist politician to investigate the federal government's past use of public opinion polling.

Daniel Paille was a Cabinet minister under the Parti Quebecois government of former Quebec premier Jacques Parizeau in the mid-1990s.

In his new capacity as "independent advisor," Mr. Paille will probe the federal government's polling practices from 1990 to March 31, 2003.

In announcing the appointment, Public Works Minister Michael Fortier said the government hopes to address "disturbing" questions raised in a November, 2003, audit by Auditor General Sheila Fraser.

The audit concluded that, "for the most part," the government managed polling research "in a transparent manner and with adequate controls."

But it also found "a small number of troubling cases" in which the government broke its own rules by paying for polls that monitored such things as voting behaviour.

The federal Conservatives promised in the last election to conduct an "independent review" of the audit's findings and determine if a judicial inquiry were needed.

But Liberal politicians accused Prime Minister Stephen Harper of a "crass" political ploy to dig up more dirt on the Liberals as they struggle to put the sponsorship scandal behind them.

Ms. Fraser's 2003 report on polling practices, which examined the period from 1999 to 2003, was released at the same time as an explosive audit into the sponsorship program that uncovered millions of dollars paid to advertising agencies for little or no work.

"This is unacceptable, and to ask a former separatist minister to do that job is clearly an insult," said Liberal leader Stephane Dion. He questioned the need to appoint an adviser to investigate a matter already probed.

"We have an Auditor General, it is her role to do that ... But we have a Prime Minister always looking for low politics and we have another example."

Mr. Fortier defended his appointee, who resigned as a member of the Quebec National Assembly in 1996 and has since worked as a private-sector finance executive and a business professor. "Mr. Paille has the perfect professional profile to do this job," Mr. Fortier said.

Mr. Paille vowed to do the job in a "professional" manner. Pressed by reporters, he said he felt no obligation to disclose whether he is still a separatist, even though he will be employed by the government of Canada.

"I pay tax in Canada, and I use my Canadian passport. This is a private question."

Mr. Paille will be paid at a daily rate of between $895 and $1,095. Mr. Fortier said the exercise should cost less than $1-million.

© National Post 2007

[GMMAC]

Aside from the pure 'Rovian' genius of naming an 'impartial' probable separatist (e.g. no group more despises Quebec's Librano$ gangsters!), with 'Milhouse' Dion now whiningly posturing that looking into - not altogether unlikely - Liberal malfeasance & non-accountability "is clearly an insult" which amounts to a "crass" "witch hunt" .... snicker !!!

... and, for further indication 'the dogs aren't all barking' at Liberal HQ these days, also consider:
Dion 'off his rocker' to consider Central Nova abstention ~ Halifax Chronicle-Herald, April 12, 2007

[GMMAC]

PING!