Ottawa - The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today reacted to reports the judicial inquiry into the sponsorship program will cost the federal government $60-million. This amount is nearly three times the $21-million originally approved by the Martin government when it named Judge John Gomery to probe the dysfunctional program. It is estimated the commission will spend $20-million by the end of March, and will require an additional $40-million to complete the report by year's end.

"Should Ottawa spend $60-million to discover how ministerial and bureaucratic oversight of the sponsorship program collapsed, to learn how $250-million of tax money was misspent and how $100-million of this amount ended up in the pockets of Liberal-friendly advertising firms The answer is an emphatic yes," said CTF federal director John Williamson. "The Gomery Commission is essential to ensure accountability and Canadian taxpayers want it to proceed. Nothing we have witnessed to date indicates tax money is being, or has been, used improperly."

"This amount represents the price of accountability, just like funding the office of the Auditor General of Canada," noted Williamson. "Canadians are demanding answers and spending $60-million on funding this public inquiry is a better use of tax dollars than most of Ottawa's discretionary budget items, particularly spending on government grants and contributions. Are Canadians each willing to pitch in a toonie to learn the truth I think they are."

"While Judge Gomery has the best seat in town, every taxpayer has an interest in the outcome," said Williamson. "Canadians expect the inquiry to report what went so terribly wrong, untangle the political and bureaucratic web that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars being squandered, and assign blame where deserved. So long as Judge Gomery proceeds with this in mind, the public will support his efforts."