Oh, by the way

Alain Renaud, Jean Brault's Liberal door-opener/minder, testified before the Gomery inquiry that he overheard Jacques Corriveau discussing a specific sponsorship project -- something about "little violins" -- with Jean Chretien. The former prime minister of Canada flatly denied before the same inquiry that he had ever had any such discussions with Corriveau. In other denial news, Serge Gosselin denies he was put on Brault's payroll, though he admits writing that fawning biography of Alfonso Gagliano. Not sure whether it wouldn't have been better to admit to the first and deny the second. He's asked for time to testify before the inquiry. So has Jean Pelletier, who wants to refute certain "false allegations" made against him. He may be referring to this:

Renauld said that Chuck Guite, who ran the program from 1997 to 1999, confirmed an unspecified number of contracts crossed the desk of Jean Pelletier, chief of staff to Chretien. "He (Guite) said, 'We'll look at the project, present this to the (public works) minister and it has to go through the prime minister's office' and that's how it worked," said Renaud. Asked by Roy which PMO official had a say in the approval process, Renaud replied: "Usually Mr. Pelletier."