http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party...sorship_scandal
heres a part of what wikipedia says
The sponsorship scandal, "AdScam", or Sponsorgate, is an ongoing scandal that came as a result of a Canadian federal government "sponsorship program" (sometimes capitalized) in the province of Quebec, originally rationalized as an effort to raise Canadian patriotic sentiments to counter Quebec separatism. The program ran from 1996 to 2004, when broad corruption was discovered in its operations and the program was discontinued. Illicit and even illegal activities within the administration of the program were revealed, involving misuse and misdirection of public funds intended for government advertising in Quebec. The resulting investigations and scandal have affected the Canadian government, particularly the ruling Liberal Party of Canada and the current government of Prime Minister Paul Martin. It has been an ongoing affair for years, but rose to great national prominence in early 2004 after the program was scrutinised by the federal auditor general and later became the subject of a dedicated federal commission. It remains in the national spotlight and became a significant factor in the lead-up to the 2006 federal election where the Liberal Party of Canada was ousted from power by the Conservatives