It was around this time last year that two names from the past reappeared and then pretty much dominated the news agenda for weeks on end: Karlheinz Schreiber and Brian Mulroney.

Rosemary Barton

Ring any bells? It should because for weeks there were new revelations, affidavits and attempts to prevent Schreiber's extradition to Germany.

And there were hours and hours of testimony in front of the House of Commons ethics committee. Schreiber and Mulroney both appeared, as well as past ministers, journalists and former lobbyists.

It was confusing and fascinating and required this reporter to make charts and organigrams just to keep it straight.

It ended with more questions than answers and a promise from the prime minister for a public inquiry.

That's where this update comes in.

The inquiry is moving, ever so slowly, forward.

Parties have requested and been granted public standing and some of the parties (including former Mulroney aide Fred Doucet) have also asked for financial assistance in being represented in front of the inquiry. A decision on this will come soon.

The parties, well mostly their lawyers, will spend the next months getting together the documents and their arguments.

The first part of the inquiry starts February 9th.

I'm gonna dust off my notes and charts now.

Rosemary Barton