Prime Minister Jean Chrétien defended his government's record on the purchase of two Bombardier jets, after a leak revealed that the next Auditor-General's report will accuse the Liberal government of misspending.
Mr. Chrétien, speaking in Bangkok where he is attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit, said the Liberal government did nothing wrong.
He defended the purchase of the two executive Challenger jets from Bombardier last year for $100-million.
"Apparently we bought two planes. Fine. We wanted to have Canadian planes. I don't think the Americans travel in French planes or the President of the United States. ... I wanted to have Canadian planes for the Canadian public, for the ministers, to show off the Canadian product," he said Monday.
"So I don't see the problem."
Federal sources have told The Globe and Mail that Auditor-General Sheila Fraser's next report will disclose how the Chrétien government spent $100-million on Bombardier jets, used Crown corporations to funnel millions more to Liberal-friendly advertising firms and may have misused a poll for partisan political purposes.
Mr. Chrétien was personally involved in the decision to purchase two Bombardier Challenger executive jets, and placed one of his key lieutenants, Alfonso Gagliano, in charge of Ottawa's advertising and polling programs.
The purchase was made without going to public tenders, and the deal was announced to the public only after it had been signed. The Auditor-General's report will also question whether the purchase of the jets was necessary, since the Department of Defence was reluctant to agree to the deal.
The report is expected to quote a DND report that said the old Challengers were 99.1 per cent effective.
Opposition leaders criticized Mr. Chrétien's government after the details of the Auditor-General's report came out. However, the parliamentary clock could run out before Mr. Chrétien has to face questions in the House about the report. It is scheduled to be tabled on Nov. 25, but its release could be delayed by months if the House is recessed before then.
The session will break in mid-November for the Liberal convention that will almost certainly acclaim Mr. Martin the new party leader and next prime minister. MPs from all parties doubt that Mr. Chrétien will bring the House back until the new year. By that time, he may be out of office, and Mr. Martin would have to take the heat for the report.
During Question Period Monday, opposition parties asked the government whether it would amend the Auditor-General's act to allow the Ms. Fraser to release it before Nov. 25.
Deputy Prime Minister John Manley said that he would not comment on a report that is only in the draft stage and has not been released yet. He said drafts have to be sent to various departments to make comments. Then the report will be tabled and "we'll wait and see what it has to say," Mr. Manley said.
Defence Minister John McCallum also refused to comment on a report that has not released.
Later, Liberal House Leader Don Boudria said that it was up to Ms. Fraser to decide when the report was tabled.
"The Auditor-General could bring this report tomorrow if that's what the Auditor-General wished to do and was ready to do."
With reports from Daniel Leblanc and Jeff Sallot
