Weekly Commentary - August 23, 2004 - Andre Ouellet and the honor system

Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy

WEEKLY COMMENTARY
"Just Between Us"

August 23, 2004

Andre Ouellet and the 'honor system'

I see in last week's media that federal Revenue Minister John McCallum wants to treat the Andre Ouellet scandal as a closed chapter.

He shouldn't. It's unfinished business and it still stinks to high heaven.

In his eight years as head of Canada Post, first as chairman and then president, Andre Ouellet claimed $2 million worth of business expenses and never produced so much as a parking receipt.

He told the accounting staff how much to pay him, and they paid it--no receipts, no itemized list of expenditures, nothing.

He called this the "honor system."

He also helped get jobs for 83 friends and relatives, built himself a fancy executive smoking room, intervened in $35 million dollars worth of procurement contracts, and wrangled himself a salary of $400,000, the highest in the civil service.

Ouellet retired in disgrace on August 12, to an annual public service pension estimated at $116,000 ($83,000 from his years as an MP and minister, and $33,000 from his years at Canada Post, from 1996 to 2004).

John McCallum, responsible for both national revenue and Canada Post, was relieved to see him go. The minister said the government will not pursue the issue of expense payments further, but Canada Post may.

Or may not. Suing Andre Ouellet is not a formula for positive press for the corporation, any more than it is for Revenue Minister John McCallum. It was Canada Post's board of directors which allowed the scandal to happen in the first place. They didn't have a clue how much he was taking, but approved him doing it.

So who knows where a lawsuit might end up, and who in Canada Post might get ruined by it? Odds are everyone will just let bygones be bygones.

We shouldn't let them. Otherwise, they'll just keep pulling stunts like this. Instead of Chretien scandals we'll start getting Martin scandals, and if the Conservatives someday win an election we'll just get Tory scandals.

Citizens in large numbers should ask the minister, by e-mail or letter, if he will make Andre Ouellet either produce his expense records or pay the money back. If Ouellet does neither, the minister should ensure Ouellet is taxed on it and investigated for hiding income.

It's actually easy to ask the minister to do this. Just go on www.smartenup.ca and send the prepared letter to McCallum, copied to a long list of federal decision-makers, or compose your own letter and send it to the e-mail addresses provided.

There's nothing better than public silence, cynicism and apathy to foster and perpetuate abusive government. In a democracy, we get the government we deserve.

Canada Post is a crown corporation. That $2 million remains public money until they account for it. Make sure they do.

- Link Byfield

Link Byfield is chairman of the Edmonton-based Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy.

"Just Between Us" is a feature service of the Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy. The purpose of the Citizens Centre is to improve the quality of life for all Canadians by promoting policies that foster individual initiative and personal responsibility.

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