Emails to Harper demanded more oversight of MP expenses.

OTTAWA – Emails sent to Prime Minister Stephen Harper in June suggested some Canadians didn’t trust MPs to monitor their own spending and wanted the auditor general to review their books.

The emails arrived at the Prime Minister’s Office as details of the Senate expense audit were released and they offer a window into public reaction to that audit.

The messages released through the Access to Information Act suggest that some writers felt that oversight of parliamentarians’ spending should be an election issue.

One writer sought a detailed accounting of all MP spending, while others applied for an appointment to one of the 22 vacant Senate seats.

After auditor general Michael Ferguson’s critical review of Senate spending, Conservatives, NDP and Liberals all supported the idea of giving him access to MP expense accounts.

However, the issue has taken a back seat on the campaign trail amid a focus on the Mike Duffy trial.