Both the Torstar group and CTVglobemedia have shown some non-partisan integrity today, by disclosing two interesting reports that involved a fair bit of investigative journalism and do not help the PR images of the Ontario and Federal Liberals.
The Record reports that Torstar's Hamilton Spectator actually went to the trouble to obtain summaries of Ontario government aircraft flights from 2002 to the summer of 2006 under the Freedom of Information Act! Apparently Premier McGuinty has a penchant for flying and is under no legal obligation to be accountable to the taxpayer for these expenses.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation wants to see more accountability and transparency. Seems like a good idea to me.
(Note: The links to these articles do not translate well on Blogger. For the Record article go here and then click on "Premier's $2,000/hr flight pattern". For the Spectator's piece, go here and then click on News - Local, then "McGuinty Plane rides cost up to $1 Million".)
Then we have Globe and Mail, CTV and Canadian Press actually filing and winning a court challenge regarding a publication ban on RCMP affidavits surrounding the 2005 Income Trust investigation - and then releasing the results!!!
Oh sure, only one top Finance Canada official has been charged with making a profit on information to which he was privy while in Ralph Goodale's confidence. But it does cast the previous Liberal government in a poor light in terms of security control, competence and good judgment.
Mr. Nadeau, 50, was one of only eight people in the room with Liberal finance minister Ralph Goodale on the afternoon of Nov. 22, 2005, when a decision was made not to tax income trusts, according to the RCMP. Mr. Goodale announced the change at 6 p.m. the next day.
According to the RCMP, Mr. Nadeau bought 3,100 units of Yellow Pages Income Fund early in the morning of Nov. 23, 2005, through his TD Waterhouse Discount Brokerage account. That was more than eight hours before Mr. Goodale's announcement.
Another interesting behind-the-scenes story here ('Sheer Agony' followed Income-Trust Leak allegations: Goodale). It seems that Ralph isn't a big fan of Blackberries.
Liberal media - reporting stories unfavourable to Liberal parties.
Hell surely won't have to worry about global warming now.
