Will clear name, Barrett maintains

A veteran politician named in the latest report in Newfoundland and Labrador's audit scandal says other documentation will clear his name.

Percy Barrett, a Liberal who has represented Bellevue district for more than 17 years, says he was surprised when Auditor General John Noseworthy showed him cancelled cheques with his signature on them.

"I'm prepared to say I'm innocent. I will say that I'm innocent right now," Barrett said Tuesday afternoon at the legislature.

"There's all kinds of other documentation that will come out in the investigation," Barrett told reporters Tuesday.

"I'm confident that the documents will clear me at the end of the day," said Barrett, who did not elaborate on what they are.

Noseworthy reported Tuesday that Barrett received more than $117,000 than he was due in constituency allowances over a six-year period.

Barrett is the fifth politician to be named in Noseworthy's investigations of constituency allowances and other spending through the house of assembly. Members of the house receive tax-free allowances to pay for offices, staff and related expenses.

Barrett said he was caught off guard by Noseworthy's report on his spending, which he was shown the evening before its release.

"I've been reporting these sorts of things for 18 years and I just assumed the system looked after itself. I was a bit surprised with what happened," Barrett said.

Also named in Noseworthy's investigation have been fellow Liberal caucus member Wally Andersen, former Liberal member Jim Walsh, Tory Ed Byrne and New Democrat Randy Collins.

With two sitting members of the Liberal caucus now involved in the audits, the latest revelation comes as a blow to Opposition leader Gerry Reid as he tries to rebuild the Liberal party for the October 2007 general election.

"The investigation into this could take another year, so that cloud remains even if the individuals who have been named are completely exonerated at the end of the day," Reid said.

"They have to live with this as well."

Premier Danny Williams asked Noseworthy to broaden his original investigation back to 1989, when the current constituency allowance system was developed.

Noseworthy found that excess payments in constituency allowances started in the 1998 fiscal year. In 2000, ahouse of assembly committee voted to bar the auditor general from reviewing legislative spending.

"It won't be happening again and people will certainly be protected on a go-forward basis," Williams said.

Williams and Reid agreed that it is important that Noseworthy complete his next report which will detail how MHAs actually spent their constituency allowances within a few months, and before the fall election.