Why is this news?

The revelation of protected testimony from the Gomery Inquiry by Captain Ed is heating up the normally sedate Canadian blogosphere like nothing before. Andrew at Bound by Gravity has been tracking how the news has spread, and it's been impressive.

But is what Brault said really news? Did anyone really think the Liberals hadn't been using these bogus dropping-money-from-a-helicopter programs to line their own pockets? This is how the Liberal machine works! Everything they do isn't as sleazy as this particular scheme, but it all follows a similar formula. Government money and power is used as an election tool. Grants to cultural communities, well-funded projects handed to the unions to run, 'regional development', immigration policies, corporate welfare -- all these are done with the consultation of pollsters as to how they will affect their electoral prospects.

The Gomery Inquiry has been getting little attention outside of Quebec. Most people's reactions when hearing of the latest evidence of sleaze has been to shrug. (That's how I've treated it anyway.)

So I don't think all the attention paid to this latest news is because of what was said. Rather, I think that the act of drawing a black curtain around the proceedings has gotten people curious as to what was being hidden. Now people want to know -- and they're paying more attention. It could be that the publication ban will amplify rather than muffle Brault's testimony. And all for the better too.