All of us hoping and waiting for release of the Canadian census, especially the 1911 on June 1, 2003 know that Radwanski was one of the negative players re non-release. The following may be forwarded to YOUR Members of Parliament; as I have done -- see above. Muriel M. Davidson [email protected] =============================== WATCHDOG SPENDING IN A FOG Radwanski tale not surprising by Alexander Oanetta The Canadian Press OTTAWA--Beyond the reach of virtually any scrutiny, insulated from oversight by creaky bureaucratic bafflegab, it is a wonder anyone learned of George Radwanski's predilection for the posh on the taxpayers' ticket. The extent of the privacy commissioner's opulent work habits might never have come to light but for the less-than-dogged pursuit of a Liberal MP. And that raises the question. In a system designed to protect the public's watchdogs, just who's watching the watchdogs? In this case, it was Ontario MP John Bryden, but he wasn't exactly hounding his quarry when he requested the personal expenses. "They sat on the table in my office for several weeks before I got to them," Bryden said. Radwanski is one of a select few charges of Parliament whose job of monitoring the actions of parliamentarians requires that legislators' power of perusal over him be strictly limited. $300Gs on trips Many of those parliamentarians are now accusing Radwanski of using his position to cloak expenses from his dinner patron: The Canadian taxpayer. Radwanski and his assistant spent $300,000 on seven trips abroad last year, but totalling the exact tally became a fame of trying to crack a system designed to keep secrets. The privacy commissioner's expenses are published in the annual spending estimates, but consist of a nebulous eight-line column that wouldn't raise eyebrows. Fog Spreads Those figures point to a $12.4-million overall budget, but without itemized mention of hospitality. That kind of foggy accounting isn't limited to Radwanski's office. Critics complain that secrets start from the moment Parliament's top watchdogs are chosen. Officers of Parliament -- the chief electoral officer, official languages commissioner, auditor general, information commissioner and privacy commissioner -- are picked by the Prime Minister's Office without public consultation. When Radwanski was hired in 2000, a public hearing might have unearthed the fact that he'd just been excused for nearly $600,000 in tax debt to Revenus Canada. Credibility might also benefit from more transparent disclosure guidelines. Watchdogs aren't subject to regular audits, with only the auritors general required to forward expense logs to an independent accountant each year. And citizens who want to get detailed expenses are out of luck. The Access to Information Act does not apply to Officers of Parliament. "This just cries out for Access to Information reform," Bryden said. ============== --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.491 / Virus Database: 290 - Release Date: 6/18/03