A report from The Globe and Mail suggests that one of the ad agencies at the centre of the federal sponsorship scandal was so tight with the Liberal government, it could make pitches to cabinet personally.

The report says Groupaction was invited in July, 1998 to make a confidential presentation to the cabinet's powerful communications committee, which often reviewed federal ad campaigns.

According to government insiders, for an advertising firm to appear before a cabinet committee was highly unusual, and shows the clout the ad firm and its president, Jean Brault, once enjoyed in Ottawa.

The RCMP is now probing Groupaction over allegations of overbilling involving millions of dollars worth of federal contracts.

What's more, though government officials confirm that the meeting took place, no record of the presentation is included in documents released to a parliamentary inquiry into the sponsorship scandal.

Conservative MPs have called on the government to release all secret documents from the cabinet committee on communications. In reply, Prime Minister Paul Martin has released hundreds more pages of records relating directly to the sponsorship program.

The report is just the latest to suggest that a number of advertising firms embroiled in the sponsorship scandal enjoyed cozy relations with the Liberals.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe noted another example of the coziness during question period Monday. Duceppe pointed out that in 2001, a videotaped birthday greeting from then-sports minister Denis Coderre was sent to Claude Boulay of Groupe Everest, a company that did ad work for the government in Quebec.

The auditor general has implicated Groupe Everest in the sponsorship scandal, criticizing many of its deals.

Conservative Party MP Diane Ablonczy suggested the greeting points to something more sinister.

"Isn't it true that the minister was deeply involved in making sure his cronies got a generous share in ad scam pork?"

Ablonczy also wanted to know why Coderre remains in cabinet "in spite of his cozy relationship with a key player" in the scandal.

Coderre told reporters outside the House that he and Mr. Boulay are simply long-time friends.

"People understand that a minister can have friends," Coderre said, adding that he should not have to live a monk's life to satisfy the opposition.

Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan told the House Monday that the government is committed to "transparency and accountability"

"We are committed to answering the questions that the Auditor General identified in her report that she could not answer," McLellan.

"Where before have we seen a prime minister release cabinet documents earlier than the 30-year period? Where before have we seen a prime minister within minutes of an auditor general's report come forward with a comprehensive response?"

The matter of the videotape greeting should be put before the public inquiry, or the public accounts committee, she said.