Since Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams appears to know so much about Liberal improprieties from the Brian Tobin days, one would think that he has an obligation to order an investigation.

Williams told the legislature the Liberals have plenty of skeletons in their own closet, and identified some of the issues that dogged the party before the Tories won the 2003 election.

"Some of their friends — Bristol Communications, for example, over a period of four or five years donated $254,000 to the Liberal party," Williams told the house.

"For that they received $20 million in advertising contracts."

Williams also raised a controversial $250,000 campaign involving promotional ads about then-premier Roger Grimes, as well as almost $182,000 spent on a proposed Lower Churchill hydroelectric deal, which Williams described as "a project that just never happened."

Williams also noted that his government had restored the ability of the auditor general to review the books of the house of assembly.

"We acted quickly because your government took the auditor general out, and you know where that ended up," said Williams, referring to a legislative spending scandal that has rocked political circles since June.

It isn't good enough to say that you know about the skeletons. The government has an obligation to investigate these matters once they come to light. It is not enough to say let bygones be bygones until you start slinging mud at my government.

UPDATE: I just made a call and it seems a lot of this stuff was investigated by previous Auditor Generals.