EvanL
04-02-2005, 06:44 PM
OTTAWA (*******) - Speculation about an early Canadian election grew on Saturday over reports of "explosive" testimony at a closed-door hearing into a scandal surrounding the misuse of government funds, newspapers said.
******* Photo
Publication bans prevented the newspapers from revealing what was said at the Gomery Commission, which is investigating a costly government advertising program designed to combat separatist feeling in French-speaking Quebec.
But the papers said details could emerge by Wednesday if criminal trials of people involved in the scandal are postponed. One of those facing trial, advertising executive Jean Brault, has been testifying in secret this week.
"Federal political party leaders are said to be holding emergency consultations this weekend after allegedly shocking new testimony at the sponsorship inquiry raised the spectre of a non-confidence vote that could hasten the fall of the Liberal minority government," the National Post said.
The Globe and Mail described the testimony as "explosive."
Because the Liberals hold only a minority of the seats in Parliament, they need the support from at least one other party to stay in power.
The scandal took place in the late 1990s, during the Liberal government of then prime minister Jean Chretien.
Current Prime Minister Paul Martin took over from Chretien in December 2003 and set up the inquiry in February 2004, after an official report revealed that C$100 million in government sponsorship funds had been funnelled to pro-Liberal firms, often for little or no work.
Martin hoped the inquiry would draw a clean line between his government and that of his predecessor. But it has instead focused public attention on Liberal shortcomings, and has been extremely damaging to the party's political fortunes.
Opinion polls show that no single party would win an overall majority if an election were held now. A Liberal aide said Canadians should not want to go to the polls before the commission concludes its work in December.
"No party who cares a whit about giving Canadians the answers they deserve would be so irresponsible as to trigger an election until that time," the aide said.
The Liberals lost their parliamentary majority in last June's election amid anger over the scandal. Canadian minority governments usually only last 18 months or two years.
Speculation about no-confidence votes has swirled several times since the election, but on each occasion the opposition parties have either stepped back from the brink or reached a compromise that prevented an early vote.
Tis getting very hairy!
******* Photo
Publication bans prevented the newspapers from revealing what was said at the Gomery Commission, which is investigating a costly government advertising program designed to combat separatist feeling in French-speaking Quebec.
But the papers said details could emerge by Wednesday if criminal trials of people involved in the scandal are postponed. One of those facing trial, advertising executive Jean Brault, has been testifying in secret this week.
"Federal political party leaders are said to be holding emergency consultations this weekend after allegedly shocking new testimony at the sponsorship inquiry raised the spectre of a non-confidence vote that could hasten the fall of the Liberal minority government," the National Post said.
The Globe and Mail described the testimony as "explosive."
Because the Liberals hold only a minority of the seats in Parliament, they need the support from at least one other party to stay in power.
The scandal took place in the late 1990s, during the Liberal government of then prime minister Jean Chretien.
Current Prime Minister Paul Martin took over from Chretien in December 2003 and set up the inquiry in February 2004, after an official report revealed that C$100 million in government sponsorship funds had been funnelled to pro-Liberal firms, often for little or no work.
Martin hoped the inquiry would draw a clean line between his government and that of his predecessor. But it has instead focused public attention on Liberal shortcomings, and has been extremely damaging to the party's political fortunes.
Opinion polls show that no single party would win an overall majority if an election were held now. A Liberal aide said Canadians should not want to go to the polls before the commission concludes its work in December.
"No party who cares a whit about giving Canadians the answers they deserve would be so irresponsible as to trigger an election until that time," the aide said.
The Liberals lost their parliamentary majority in last June's election amid anger over the scandal. Canadian minority governments usually only last 18 months or two years.
Speculation about no-confidence votes has swirled several times since the election, but on each occasion the opposition parties have either stepped back from the brink or reached a compromise that prevented an early vote.
Tis getting very hairy!