avaaz petition: release the final report on g8 spending!

To Stephen Harper, Michael Ignatieff, Jack Layton, Gilles Duceppe, Elizabeth May and Auditor General Sheila Fraser:

We call on all party leaders to urgently file an official request with the Auditor General to publicly release the G8 spending report before election day on May 2nd, and we call on the Auditor General to comply with that request. There is no legal barrier to this release, and Canadians have a right to know the truth about G8 spending before we choose our next government.

Sign here.

From Avaaz:

This week, a leaked report alleged that the Harper Government illegally handed 50 million taxpayer dollars to a single Conservative riding – and then covered it up as G8 summit spending. With Canadians heading to the polls in mere weeks, we need to know the truth about Harper and his loose-fisted ministers.

Parliamentary experts say that no law bars the Auditor General from immediately releasing this report to the public. In fact, it would serve our bruised democracy to reveal the facts about G8 spending before Canadians are asked to choose the next government. We need to know if Harper illegally doled out public money to his supporters before we cast our votes.

Let's raise a massive public call to the AG and all 5 parties to agree immediately to release this report. If enough us join, our outcry will compel the AG to protect democracy by revealing the truth before the vote. Sign the petition below - we'll deliver it when we hit 75,000 signatures.

This is the first time in Canadian history that an AG draft report has been leaked. Members of Parliament knew that the alleged illegal conduct documented in this report was outrageous - they had no choice but to violate the tradition of confidentiality surrounding draft AG reports.

Since the scandal broke, the AG has been "sent" to Nunavut. But she cannot escape a public outcry – nor an official request from all political leaders demanding that the truth be revealed before election day.

A fair and informed vote depends on exposing the truth about Harper and his G8 spending to the Canadian public. Let’s send a flood of messages to the leaders of all five major political parties calling on them to file an official – and immediate – request with the Auditor General for the release of the G8 spending report. Then we'll bring our call directly to the AG.

The Harper Government fell because it was the first in Canadian history to be found in contempt of Parliament for refusing to tell the truth about public spending. This election is in large part about accountability, and if there is yet another massive misappropriation of taxpayer money, we have a right to know. Let’s fight for the chance to make an informed choice at the polls.

Sheila slams Tory G8 spending (Montreal Gazette)

G8 spending: Did taxpayers get their money’s worth? (Toronto Star)

Will auditor’s G8 report postpone Speaker Peter Milliken’s retirement? (The Globe and Mail)