Weston- Sponsorship

"Contrary to Jean Chretien's claim yesterday that he called in the Mounties, in fact it was Auditor General Sheila Fraser who asked the federal force to probe three "money-for-nothing" sponsorship contracts that had ripped off taxpayers for $1.5 million.

Three years later, only one former bureaucrat and two Montreal advertising executives have been charged with Adscam frauds.

One of those admen, Paul Coffin, recently admitted defrauding the government of $1.6 million, and was sentenced to two years of teaching ethics to university students.

Stephen Harper probably echoed the frustration of many Canadians yesterday when he said: "This is the biggest theft in Canadian history -- millions of Canadians' tax dollars were stolen years ago -- and no one has gone to jail.

"I mean, one Liberal giving courses on ethics is the punishment for this? I don't know how you can take that seriously."

[Gomery Sponsorship]