Another word about the public-private partnership story below.

P3s are likely to be far more lucrative than normal government construction contracts -- as they include management, maintenance and ownership of projects. So, pursuing such contracts with major campaign contributors makes the optics of this affair seem gastly, to say the least.

But Paul Martin has also put an MP, John McKay, in charge of pushing for such deals -- which puts McKay at the centre of handing out government contracts.

Given the Royal Ottawa Hospital debacle we know that P3s are vulnerable to backroom dealing. I'm aware of no established public tendering process for such projects.

To top it all off, Paul Martin appointed Mr. McKay in the wake of learning about the Auditor-General's report detailing inside government dealing.

Why has Prime Minister Martin put a political apparatchik square in the middle of government contracting? Why now?