JURIST - Paper Chase: Gomery blames Conservatives for inaction on sponsorship scandal recommendations

[JURIST] Quebec Justice John Gomery [CBC profile] told CBC News Wednesday that his recent recommendations on limiting government corruption and abuse of power in the wake of the federal sponsorship scandal [CBC backgrounder] have been lost in a "black hole" due to the inaction of Canada's Conservative Party government, which took power from the Liberals in a January election. According to Gomery, the only actual result of his investigation is the Federal Accountability Act [text and materials], which was actually written before Gomery made his recommendations. Gomery said that while "governments have a tendency to put the report on the shelf" after a crisis passes, he hopes "that it would produce tangible results."

Gomery's first and second reports [text and materials], released in November and February [JURIST reports], outlined the results of his judicial commission of inquiry [official website] into the Canadian scandal and included recommendations for controlling prime-ministerial power. The investigation began after Canadian Liberal Party Prime Minister Paul Martin acknowledged allegations [JURIST report] of money laundering and kickbacks and took full responsibility for the misuse of public funds in a program which siphoned federal funds to Quebec advertising firms that did little or no work. CBC News has more.

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