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“The report has changed considerably and the government is certainly prepared to call on the Auditor General to either issue a statement or release the whole report,” Conservative candidate John Baird told a hastily arranged press conference.

He said a more recent draft report from February had removed many of the more “inflammatory remarks” and “colourful language,” such as allegations that the government had misinformed Parliament or that Mr. Clement had a direct say in where the money would be spent in his riding. “Not a single dollar, not a single penny is missing,” Mr. Baird said.

His request for the final report echoed similar calls from Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, who said: “These are shocking revelations.” NDP leader Jack Layton urged a public inquiry on the spending.

That second draft, obtained by Postmedia News and dated Feb. 1, does not flatly state that the Tories misinformed Parliament, but it is critical of the Harper government’s lack of transparency, especially since the party won office in 2006 promising more accountability on the Hill.

“This categorization did not clearly or transparently identify the nature of the approval being sought for G8 infrastructure project expenditures or explain that these expenditures would not have to meet the existing terms and conditions for the Border Infrastructure Fund,” says the report.

It recommends that the government review its practices “so that when Parliament approves funds, it is presented with clear and accurate information about how the funds will be used.”