Solicitor General Lawrence MacAulay, the minister responsible for the RCMP, was noticeably absent Monday from an appointment with the Queen, raising speculation that a mini cabinet shuffle is on the way.

CTV News Staff

Solicitor General Lawrence MacAulay, the minister responsible for the RCMP, was noticeably absent Monday from an appointment with the Queen, raising speculation that a mini cabinet shuffle is on the way.

MacAulay was to escort the Queen when she visited the RCMP Equestrian Centre. He and his wife were scheduled to be there, but were nowhere to be seen when the Queen arrived, CTV's Mike Duffy said.

Duffy said the Prime Minister's Office probably didn't want a photograph of MacAulay and the Queen in what could be his last day on the job.

"It may be that we'll see a small shuffle of the federal cabinet tomorrow," Duffy said, adding that perhaps MacAulay would be going to the Senate.

Prime Minister's Office spokesman and former CTV reporter Jim Munson said he had no idea why MacAulay didn't show up.

"I'm making some calls myself. I understand his name was on the list to be there for the horse-giving part," he said, referring to the Queen's gift of an Irish mare to the RCMP.

Duffy told Newsnet that sources told him MacAulay is in his home riding on Prince Edward Island. It's also where ethics counsellor Howard Wilson is investigating allegations of wrongdoing involving a contract awarded to the P.E.I. accounting firm of one of MacAulay's friends.

If a mini-cabinet shuffle does occur, it would happen after the Queen leaves on Tuesday morning and before Prime Minister Jean Chretien heads for the Middle East on Wednesday.

Wilson's report may be ready as early as Tuesday.

This latest development comes just days after reports published Saturday quoted two senior Liberal sources as saying MacAulay may be demoted over the scandal.

The opposition accuses MacAulay of awarding the untendered $70,000 consulting contract to MacIsaac, Younker, Roche and Solomon, an accounting firm belonging to one of MacAulay's friends, Everett Roche. Roche was MacAulay's personal agent in two elections.

MacAulay has also been accused of awarding a second contract to Tim Banks, the P.E.I. Liberal Party president. Banks' firm APM Group received about $120,000 to manage a $4-million renovation of Charlottetown's Confederation Centre.

The minister is also under fire for hiring his nephew to run his riding office.

MacAulay has repeatedly said that he has followed Treasury Board guidelines for awarding contracts and that he's done nothing wrong.

On Friday, he told reporters he was anxiously awaiting Wilson's report. "I wouldn't want to prejudge whatever Mr. Wilson will say," MacAulay said. "It's up to him to conduct a review and take a report back... I am looking forward to hearing his review."