Emerson says department was forthcoming
Parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page made a point this afternoon of saying that several government departments not only didn't provide complete information for his investigation, but three didn't provide any data at all.
Among them: Foreign Affairs.
Speaking on Politics with Don Newman this afternoon, Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson denied that his department was out to block the work of the parliamentary budget officer in any way.
"We have been very forthcoming so I'm not quite sure what [Kevin Page] is referring to there."
He said this report represented a whole different way of accounting, and the departments have struggled to pull Afghanistan-specific information out of their budget statements.
"I'm sure that information is on its way and will be forthcoming. I think that some people were a little surprised by the sudden, I don't know if it was an acceleration, but all of a sudden there was a greater urgency to get this report done and out to the public. Maybe not everyone was ready to produce the information."
Page started his investigation last June. He was appointed by Stephen Harper's government six months ago. His appointment and his mandate were meant to fulfill a campaign pledge from the Conservatives' 2006 election platform, to promote greater transparency and accountability in government operations.
—Janyce McGregor
About the Authors
- Rosemary Barton started her television career reporting from Quebec City where she covered the ins and outs of Quebec politics. She moved to the CBC Parliamentary Bureau in 2007. She also stood on the side of road awaiting U.S. President Barack Obama's motorcade for hours in the cold. When she finally spotted him, all of Canada heard her shriek, "I saw him!"
- Alison Crawford worked in Fredericton, Calgary and Winnipeg before returning to her hometown to work in the CBC parliamentary bureau. Her beats include the RCMP, justice, public safety and the Liberals. Alison credits her investigative skills as well as a national etiquette column and coverage of a ferret Christmas party, with having prepared her for covering national politics.
- Andrew Davidson is a producer for the CBC politics page in Toronto. He joined CBCNews.ca's national desk in 2006 and was the lead news writer for the website's 2008 federal election coverage.
- Chris Hall is the National Affairs Editor for CBC News. He's been a member of the CBC Parliamentary Bureau since 1998. That adds up to 11 budgets, four elections, three prime ministers and too many confidence votes to count. Chris started his career in print before moving to the CBC in 1992. Since then, he's worked in Toronto, Halifax and St. John's, as well as Ottawa.
- Leslie MacKinnon Leslie's been working in news and current affairs since newsrooms used teletype, televison was shot on film and radio tape was edited with a razor blade. She saw through The Journal's long run on CBC-TV, and since then has worked in Halifax, Toronto and Ottawa in the CBC's various permutations. Right now, she's a TV news reporter in the political bureau, and likes certain parts of Ottawa - the canal, the Hill - a lot.
- Janyce McGregor has been a television producer in the CBC's Parliamentary Bureau since 2001. She started her career working for Studio 2 on TVOntario. In 2005 her then-doctoral student husband persuaded her to follow him to the U.K., where she worked for BBC World Service Radio in London. Janyce is originally a farm girl from southwestern Ontario. Her most important job title is "Norah's Mom."
- Chris Rands has been a member of the Parliamentary bureau since 2001. He started at Toronto's AM Radio giant CFRB before moving to CBC's National Radio News in 1996. Chris has worked in Toronto, Moncton, Sudbury, Regina, Washington and St John's. Every time Chris walks up to the Peace Tower, he wants to throw his hat in the air like Mary Tyler Moore.
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