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Fraser concluded that huge fees and commissions were paid to PR agencies without there being any real benefit for Canadians. It is alleged that the payments was used to reward supporters of the Liberal party. The report said that the scandal dates back to 1995 when the government began a pro-federalism advertising campaign in the French-speaking Quebec province.

We all know that. But what we didn't know is this:

Jacques Villeneuve received $12m in sponsorship money for wearing the Canada flag on his overalls. The allegation was made to the Commons Public Accounts Committee by former Olympic gold medal-winning biathlete Myriam Bedard.

Most racing drivers have their national flags on their overalls as a matter of course. Bedard said that her agent told her about the Villeneuve deal during a conversation at the Grand Prix in Montreal in either 1997 or 1998.

JV denied it, but did admit he was paid $1.5 million to wear a Quebec emblem.

John Williams, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, said that he considered Bedard to be an "extremely credible witness."

Well - she also claimed it was her husband, Nima Mazhari, who persuaded former prime minister Jean Chrétien to stay out of the Iraq war last year. And that VIA Rail president Marc Lefrançois told her that Groupaction - the advertising company at the centre of the scandal - was also involved in drug dealing.

BOth of which are nothing short of incredible...

But is there anything our government might have done unbelievable anymore?

So - by extension - does it sound too outrageous to believe that they would pay a terrible F-1 driver millions just for appearing to be Canadian - even though he hasn't lived in this country since last century?

Sadly - no it doesn't. So true or false, just for their incredible credibility gap, I still elect the government of Canada as today's:

The Couchmaster
couch@couchmaster.ca

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