No public inquiry into N.L. audit scandal: Williams
Last Updated: Thursday, July 6, 2006 | 6:17 PM NT
CBC News
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams rejected demands for a public inquiry into overspending at the house of assembly Wednesday.
The audit scandal that erupted last month following Auditor General John Noseworthy's investigation into spending at the legislature has been a mainstay on the province's radio call-in programs.
Linda Swain, host of VOCM's Nightline, said that as more details of alleged overspending emerge, many calls are about whether there should be a public inquiry.
N.L. Auditor General, John Noseworthy
(CBC)
"Over the last few days, it's really starting to heat up," said Swain.
"People are expressing a lot of anger."
However, Williams said he has no plans to hold a public inquiry — at least for now.
"At this stage, we just don't want to launch into an inquiry," Williams said Wednesday.
Noseworthy released a report in June that included criticism of the use of constituency allowances by Ed Byrne, who was then the minister of natural resources.
More accusations of overspending
On Tuesday, the auditor general released more reports accusing three more politicians of overspending hundreds of thousands of dollars from their constituency allowances.
All four men have retained counsel to deal with Noseworthy's allegations.
Williams said the auditor general has done his work and that Justice Derek Green has been asked to look at constituency spending and recommend a system that cannot be abused.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary has also been called in and Williams said that is enough.
"We have to see where these processes go," said Williams.
"There are three very senior groups in this province that are addressing this."
St. John's blogger Simon Lono, however, believes it is not the job of the police to look at where the constituency spending system broke down.
Lono is spearheading an online petition calling for a public inquiry into the operations of the house of assembly.
"They [police] don't have any interest other than just pure criminal wrongdoing," said Lono.
"All these systemic decisions by many, many, many people in many committees have led us to the point where we are today. Police do not care about that — that is not their concern."
Lono's petition has collected more than 100 signatures since he started it late last month.
