National Post · Jun. 18, 2011 | Last Updated: Jun. 18, 2011 4:07 AM ET

Former auditor-general Sheila Fraser’s final report on the budget for the G8-G20 summits revealed a severe lack of oversight on government spending. First, Ottawa grossly overestimated the costs of the summits, obtaining spending approvals far in excess of what was necessary. Second, the federal government spent money earmarked for “border security” on beautification projects in the riding of now-Treasury Board President Tony Clement -even though his electoral district of Muskoka lies nowhere near any border. The spending, said Ms. Fraser, showed the need for better controls on how Parliament spends money.

Regrettably, Ms. Fraser’s admonishments appear to have gone unheeded by both the government and opposition parties. A scant eight days after she issued her report, the House of Commons unanimously passed a motion which reduces scrutiny of $250.8-billion in government spending estimates for the coming fiscal year.

These estimates are usually subjected to review by 24 House committees, to determine their validity. Instead, according to a reports, only one committee will conduct a two-day symbolic review of the quarter-trilliondollar spending authorization. The House Government Operations and Estimates Committee will review all 519 pages of estimates and a report on its work will be “deemed” to have been submitted by Monday, June 20, even if it has not in fact been issued.

This is as unacceptable as it is hypocritical. Despite the campaign rhetoric from every party about strengthening our democracy and the need for more accountability, they are now blithely changing their tune in the name of expediency. Most curious is the behaviour of the opposition parties, who not only provoked said election over ethical issues, but specifically over the issue of transparency relating to the government’s failure to adequately divulge the cost of some its crime bills.

Yet now NDP and Liberal MPs seem perfectly content to work with unscrutinized figures, so long as they can get the report out of the way in time to begin their summer vacations as scheduled.

As for the government, not only did it support the Estimates motion, but on June 17 it was revealed that the Prime Minister’s own bureaucrats are failing to follow proper approvals procedure for expenses. An audit of 2,100 hospitality claims by staff in the Prime Minister’s and Privy Council offices found employees routinely failed to obtain preapproval for their expenses, as required by House rules.

We would like to politely remind our elected officials that ignorance is not bliss -especially for taxpayers who end up footing the bill for their failings.