Chretien: No Regrets

the farther we get from his sickening administration (time wise) the more apparent it becomes that our former leader was sick, stupid, and amoral human:

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Chretien defends sponsorship program
By KEVIN WARD

LONDON (CP) -- Jean Chretien defended the scandal-plagued federal sponsorship program on Tuesday as he argued it helped prevent the break-up of Canada, but he believes if anybody did anything illegal with public money, they should go to jail.

In one of the few times he has spoken about the program since he left office in December, the former prime minister played down the significance of criticism it has received by the auditor general, describing it as "an administrative problem.

"That's a problem that existed when I was there. That's nothing new. It's a problem of accounting," said Chretien, who was in London to deliver a Commonwealth lecture on multilateralism.

"And if somebody has done something wrong with that -- I have said it 300 times in the House -- put them in jail."

In February, Auditor General Sheila Fraser reported that $100 million in taxpayer money was missing or unaccounted for from a $250-million federal advertising program designed to raise the profile of the federal government in Quebec.

Fraser's audit found most of the $100 million that could not be accounted for went to Liberal-friendly ad firms in Quebec, or through them to Crown corporations, often for doing little or no work.


Chretien said the program served an important purpose by promoting national unity in Quebec.

"It was a very useful program to sell Canada to people who wanted to separate from Canada," he said.

Alfonso Gagliano, the minister of public works at the time and the man at the centre of the scandal, denied responsibility for the "fiasco" early this month, telling a Commons committee that the audit four years ago found only "administrative" difficulties with the program.

Chretien was reluctant to discuss the program at a meeting with journalists, saying he didn't want to discuss domestic matters now that he is out of politics.

"I'm not here to discuss the Canadian politics. I don't intervene in politics since I quit. It was understood that it would remain like that," he said, brushing aside questions about the auditor general's report.

"I'm not talking about domestic politics here. Next."
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What a complete loser. he just commented on the matter...then decides that he doesn't comment on 'domestic politics'.

something inside makes me want to say "i wish you were never, ever involved with politics...nevermind not talking about it".