Fraser, MPs meet over expenses

Canada's auditor general says she wants to ease MPs' concerns about an audit of their expenses during a meeting Monday with an all-party board that blocked her request to look over legislators' expenditures.

"I'm just going to hopefully allay some of their concerns about this audit and explain to them again what it is about and address any issues that they have," Sheila Fraser told CBC News ahead of her midday sit-down Monday with Parliament's Board of Internal Economy.

MPs and senators have been under increased pressure to open the books on their expenditures after similar audits in Nova Scotia and Britain triggered scandals and police investigations.

Last month, the board denied Fraser's request to conduct a "performance audit" on $533 million of annual spending by the House of Commons and the Senate, saying the proposed audit "would go beyond the scope of the auditor general's mandate."

But the board agreed to meet with Fraser following a public backlash and calls from other MPs for the decision to be reversed. So far, the Bloc Québécois is the only party to offer its public support for Fraser's proposed audit.

Fraser said Monday her audit would focus on the administration of Parliament's spending, which is much broader than just a probe of MPs' expenditures. She added that she is still hearing from members of the public and that they are "very supportive" of her office performing an audit.